The Differences Between Us
by sandersonsister
Summary: Near never cared about soulmates, despite the fact he knew who his own soulmate was. But when L is killed by Light Yagami, the very same man that was his mentors soulmate, he finds a new puzzle to conquer. With the help of his own soulmate, who is unaware of their situation, Near struggles to understand the past relationship between L and Light and his own connection to Mello.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: I hope there are still people out there reading Death Note fics! I fell back into the fandom and I have missed it so very much... If anyone enjoys this, please review and let me know!

The first mark showed up in ancient times. No one was sure what it meant, not until the young man fell in love with a woman years after the odd mark had appeared on his skin. A woman that had the same mark as him, in the same place. As the years went on, the soul mark, as it came to be called, was said to have come from many different places. Some believe it was a gift from God. Some thought it was evolution. Some believed it wasn't anything, that the history was just a way for people to believe there was someone in this world they were meant to be with, a fantasy.

Near was among the last group. The group that believed the "soul mark" was nothing of importance. That the mark on his skin wasn't anything to be concerned about or anything to put any thought into. He knew others at Wammy's had different opinions on the mark. Linda believed in them fully, though Near wasn't sure if it was because of God or some other reason. Mello fully believed the mark was a gift from God. Near had never heard Matt's thoughts on the mark, but Near noticed that Matt never really argued with Mello when it came to… well, anything. He was certainly not going to argue about something that was so important to Mello.

The only reason the marks were on Near's mind at the moment was because of one person. L. L had been in Japan, trying to catch Kira. L had a mark on his left wrist. L had found the person with a matching mark. He had put it in his report. The report that was sent out after he had died.

Near believed that he now knew who Kira was. He had read through L's reports and studied each and every word. He had listened to every bit of information that Wammy had sent before he was killed. He knew Light Yagami was Kira.

Light Yagami killed L.

But there was one piece that didn't fit. Light Yagami's mark matched L's. There had never been a report of a match killing its pair. No matter what you believed in, or even if you didn't, you _did not_ kill your match.

And yet Near was convinced Yagami was Kira. And Yagami had L's mark on his wrist. But Kira killed L.

Near believed he needed more information. He knew the basics of soul marks, but had never looked into it in depth. He had never wanted to. He had not believed the information would ever be relevant to his cases. He had not wanted to know more than the basics.

If he did, he would have to admit that he knew who is match was. And he had successfully blocked that information out of his mind for the last six years.

Near broke out of his thoughts as he heard his mobile begin to ring. His dark eyes flickered around, waiting for Giovani or one of the other SPK members to pick it up, before setting down his robot and picking it up himself. He glanced down at the ID before closing his eyes in resignation. "Mello."

"We need to talk," Mello's smooth voice reached his ears. "I'll be by tonight."

Near did not answer, just turned off the phone and picked up his Mello finger puppet. Mello would wait until headquarters was empty before coming in, the same as he had every time before. Near would open the doors and listen to whatever it was Mello had to tell him, and then Mello would leave. And that would be it.

Near stared at the Mello puppet, placing it next to the Matt puppet and then placing his own puppet on his other hand. The three of them were involved in this case. Mello should have been working with him since the beginning. L had not chosen an heir. Mello was second. Near had been first. Roger had said they should work together. Near knew Mello believed he had not been listening. He had. He had known, even back then, that the decision would be Mello's. Mello did not like him. Mello would not work with him. Even if it was to avenge the one person they had both cared about.

Near would not admit how much the news Mello had left Wammy's upset him. He was well aware that those around him thought he was an "emotionless robot". There was one person that noticed Near was not as emotionless as he seemed.

It must have been later than he believed. The remaining SPK members had emptied out and Geovani had informed him that he was leaving. Looking up at the clock, Near turned his attention to the monitors, knowing he would be seeing Mello shortly.

Sure enough, a figure dressed in black with blonde hair came into the lobby and walked toward the elevator. Near granted him access to his floor and sat back to await his arrival.

"We need to talk," Mello said, stepping out of the elevator and staring down at Near with blue eyes.

Near let his eyes flicker up to the blonde before looking back down quickly. "What does Mello need?"

"I don't need anything," Mello snapped, taking a few steps forward. "I came here because I have some information that you might want."

Near let his puppets fall to the floor as he looked up, "And what is this information?"

"It doesn't work like that," Mello sneered, crossing his arms over his chest. "I'll tell you what I know if you tell me what you know."

Near frowned, mind racing frantically. "This does not seem like Mello. Mello does not trade information."

Mello glared, "If you don't want-"

"What does Mello know of soul marks?"

Silence. Mello blinked frantically, his arms falling to his sides as he stared at Near. Near stared at him, unblinking. "Why are you asking me about soul marks?" Mello questioned, his right hand traveling up to land on his left shoulder, where Near knew his soul mark rested.

"Light Yagami has a soul mark on his wrist. It matches the one L had."

Mello slowly shook his head, "That's impossible. Yagami is Kira. He couldn't have been L's match."

"Which is why Mello needs to tell me about marks," Near commented, pulling one knee up and resting his chin against it as his other stretched out in front of him.

"You know about marks," Mello commented, though for the first time he didn't sound irritated. Contemplative. Distracted. But not irritated. "We took a class at Wammy's."

Near inwardly winced, knowing Mello would not like the next sentence. "If Mello would please tell me about soul marks. The information I have does not explain how Kira could murder L."

Mello's eyes narrowed as he studied the boy in front of him. "Near, why don't you know about soul marks?"

"Soul marks were first discovered in-"

"Near."

Near stared at Mello with cold eyes. "At the time, I did not find the information to be important."

Mello's eyebrows rose. "Near, are you telling me you didn't pay _attention_ in that class? And you _still_ got a higher score on the exam than I did?"

Near mentally sighed. Of course it was going to come back to that. "Logically, Professor Winda would base the exam around the known information, which includes the discovery of the marks and the most well-known cases, as well as the most basic information. Any data that was unconfirmed or up for debate would be inconsequential."

"Not so inconsequential now, is it Near?" Mello snapped, his mouth twisting into a menacing snarl as his eyes narrowed into a dark glare. "Considering you need me to _help_ you."

Near sighed out loud, mostly just to see Mello's eye twitch in irritation. "I can ask another person if needed. However, I am aware of your own…interest in the subject and we have a mutual interest in this topic because of our former mentor."

Mello's head tilted and he gazed at Near sharply. Near forced himself to meet the blonde's eyes. He always felt uncomfortable with eye contact but he knew the best way for Mello to see his intentions were true was to let the older have access. Unlike Near who thought the eyes didn't tell you anything important, Mello took the saying "eyes are windows to the soul" completely seriously. And, much to Near's confusion, he was usually correct. After many hours of considering the subject, Near believed that Mello was able to read body language the same way Near could find intention and guilt in records.

Mello would be very upset to know that Near thought such things.

"Soulmates are chosen by God." Near forced himself not to roll his eyes. "They are like pieces of one of those puzzles you love so much. The characteristics one person is missing will be filled in by the other but at the same time they will be compatible. They will understand one another in a way no one else can. They will _challenge_ each other the way no one else can." Near stared at Mello as he spoke, the words washing over him. He wanted to say that it was all romantic drivel, something he could understand Mello believing. He was quite idealistic himself, though he would refuse such a suggestion. However, he couldn't help but correlate his own situation with the tale Mello was spinning. How many times had he been told that he and his own… _mark_ mate were complete opposites? How many times had he thought that he was the only person that could challenge him?

Kind of how L had found his own closest person in Yagami Light.

Interesting.

"Has there ever been an instance where someone killed another person whose mark matched their own?" Near questioned, bringing the subject back to the forefront. Mello shook his head instantly, his eyes staring past Near.

"No. That's impossible. Maybe Yagami isn't Kira…" Mello muttered. Near sent him a sharp look and Mello winced. He instantly disguised it by scowling and crossing his arms over his leather clad chest. "If you're right about the two of them being soulmates-"

"I am."

"-then there is no way that Yagami killed Light."

Near's brows furrowed as his mind began to flick from one piece of the puzzle to the other, trying to find the pieces that fit together. He had no doubt in his mind that Yagami was Kira. However, if Mello was correct about markmates not being able to kill one another… "Why?"

Mello's eyebrows shot up and he reached into his pocket to pull out a fresh chocolate bar. Near scrunched up his nose as Mello tore off the top of the wrapped and bit off the corner of the chocolate. "Why _what_ , Near?"

"Why can a person not kill someone who has a mark on their skin that matches the other person?" Near elaborated, a bit confused as to why Mello was having such a hard time following his train of thought. It was the only logical follow up question. Mello should have known what he was asking without him having to detail it further.

Mello growled and snapped off another piece of chocolate. "Because they _can't_ , Near! Soulmates have a connection. Yagami would have _felt_ L dying. He would have felt the pain and the utter betrayal L had to have felt. No one could possibly be able to stand that. You know what happened to B after A killed himself. He lost his mind."

"Beyond was a sociopath," Near disagreed.

"Beyond was completely in love with his soulmate, who slowly lost himself to the pressure of Wammy house and having to deal with someone that lacked a moral compass," Mello snapped back. "Can you imagine that? Being connected to someone, being able to feel them slowly dying and having no idea what he needed to do to make things better? And then he _felt_ A die. He felt the pain as A slit his wrists and bled out, Near. A waited until B was gone from Wammy's, waited until he knew that his soulmate wouldn't be able to stop him, and then he put his soulmate through unimaginable pain because he was _weak_ -"

"But if A was able to put his markmate through such pain, what is to stop someone from killing the other person? If they can withstand the pain until the other person is deceased-"

"B went completely mad, Near! You would be ripping a piece of your soul out-"

"I do not believe in souls."

" _Fine_! But even L thought that something in B broke that day! You know that! For Yagami to willingly put himself through that pain-"

"What if Yagami didn't feel the pain?" Near asked, the pieces finally clicking into place. Mello's mouth snapped shut and his hand fell toward his hip, toward where Near knew his gun was placed. Maybe he was pushing the blond a little too hard…but he did not believe that Mello would actually shoot him. Even if he pulled the gun and placed it to Near's head, Near trusted him enough not to pull the trigger.

Maybe he was a little mad as well.

Maybe everyone from Wammy's House was.

"What the hell are you talking about now?"

"If L's deductions regarding Yagami are correct," Near started slowly as the picture began to form in his mind. "Then it is entirely possible that Yagami and Kira are two separate entities. L was close to Yagami. Yagami was the one that bore his mark. Kira was an enemy. Kira was the one that planned and executed L's murder. When Kira killed L-"

"-he could have killed whatever remained of Yagami as well," Mello breathed. He stared at Near with something close to awe, or what Near thought was awe, before the emotion was replaced by annoyance and a flash of rage. "Damn it, Near!" He snarled, turning on his heel and stomping toward the door. Near's brows pulled into a frown.

"Mello was here for a reason. Mello was going to-"

"Shut up, Near! It doesn't matter anymore!"

Near could only twirl his hair between his fingers as Mello disappeared from Headquarters.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Please comment if you like the story!

The thoughts plagued Near for the next two days. He focused on the Kira investigation when the SPK were in residence but when the day was over, he couldn't help but think of his conversation with Mello. Near was aware it was possible for people with matching marks to not establish a relationship with one another. That was one of the topics he had focused on during their class at Wammy's. There had been instances where markmates refused to complete the connection between them and lived separate lives. There had been those that never met their markmate and lived happily with someone else. And there had been occasions where the completed connection was not enough to keep the people with one another.

Near did not understand why people in the world were so focused on finding the person who shared their mark. There was plenty of evidence that such a person was not needed for future happiness.

But there were those that did not believe so. Mello was one of those people. He had always been fascinated by the idea of _soulmates_ and had spoken of finding his own when he was younger. Near had tuned the other out, which was not difficult considering Mello was not actually speaking to him, but it was not until years later that Near knew why such a desire was an issue.

Mello had always been careful to keep his mark covered, the same way all others did at Wammy House. It was unspoken among them that the focus should be on their coursework and the competition. Spending all their time focusing on finding a person whose mark matched their own was a waste of time. However, one night, technically early morning, Near had been sitting in the kitchen as he was unable to sleep. The kitchen was locked down after eight p.m. each night and did not open the next morning until 6 a.m. Near was aware of where the key was kept and, after a night of tossing in his bed, he had decided that a warm drink would be helpful. So, he quietly made his way down the stairs and into the custodial office and took the key from the lockbox (the key for the lockbox was in a binder on the far bookshelf. They really should have known that wasn't a good idea in a place such as Wammy House.). He then entered the kitchen, careful to not turn on a light, and proceeded to make a cup of hot chocolate. He didn't usually like hot chocolate, it was too sweet, but he heard warm milk would help someone sleep and he would rather the milk be mixed with something.

He had just finished making the drink and putting everything away when he heard the doorknob begin to rattle. Near, who had locked the door behind him, frowned as he heard the lock click. For a moment, Near felt something that he thought would be considered panic before his brain kicked in and he quickly dropped down behind the far counter, the mug clutched firmly in his hands. Unless the person entering the kitchen moved to stand right in front of him, it was unlikely they would see him in the small space between the counter and the wall.

The door opened briefly and then clicked shut. Near heard the lock click into place and he slowly moved his head so he could see the person that had entered the room. The familiar blond hair and black clothing that melted into the darkness caused instant recognition to spark in Near's mind. Mello did not notice him peeking around the counter, probably because he was blinking to let his eyes adjust in the darkness. Near quickly backed out of view once more, not wanting to deal with the blond-haired menace and have to explain his reasons for being there. He listened carefully as Mello walked closer toward his hiding place but the footsteps stopped about halfway through the kitchen. He then heard some shuffling. Curious, Near had once again peaked around the counter to see Mello climbing up on the counter. Curious, Near continued to watch as the older boy opened the cabinet door and reached up into the top shelf, pushing various items aside. After a moment, he pulled out a familiar chocolate bar.

Ah. So that was where Roger had hid them.

Near saw a flash of white as Mello smiled in triumph. He jumped down off of the counter and that's when Near saw it.

Mello, who usually wore a black t-shirt or long sleeves, was wearing a tank top and pajama pants. Which revealed a patch of skin that Near had not laid eyes on before. And on that skin was a mark.

A very familiar mark.

Near bit back a gasp as he jerked back, trying to get the image out of his head. He didn't realize he was shaking until the hot chocolate splashed over the top of the mug and onto his hand. He hissed a bit in pain as the door clicked shut, leaving him alone once more.

Near became even more careful after that. There was no reason for anyone to see his shoulder but he took extra care to bring his clothing with him and make sure it was sitting properly. He kept his back against walls as often as possible, even if he knew it was impossible to see the mark through the cloth. He watched Mello closely, trying to understand how someone like Mello could have a mark that matched his own. Mello hated him. Near would admit that he admired many things about the older boy but he also believed that Mello was much too emotional and did not think clearly because of those emotions. Mello was religious and Near did not believe in a higher power in any form. Mello basically lived on chocolate and Near only had it when absolutely necessary. Mello liked being outdoors and speaking to people. Near would rather be inside and get the information he needed from reports. They had nothing in common.

How could he believe in something like soulmates when he logically knew that nothing between himself and Mello would amount to anything.

And yet, he could not find a reason to alert Mello to the situation. He didn't want to destroy that hope that Mello had clung to even in the structured environment of Wammy House.

He firmly pushed that thought away, the same way he had since the day he saw that mark on Mello's skin. The same way he had when Mello refused to work with him and left Wammy House. The same way he had when he heard about the explosion and that Mello was in the building. The way he had when he found out Mello was still alive and had contacted Matt for help.

The same way he had two days ago when he was face to face with Mello for the first time since he walked out of the door of Wammy House.

He wanted to see him again.

Near couldn't explain why the sudden urge seemed to overcome him completely. It was if every cell in his body was screaming at him, demanding that he see the other man. He took a shaky breath. There was absolutely no way that Mello would come just because Near wanted him to. And giving him information just to see him again felt like he was losing.

Near didn't like to lose.

He sighed once more and stood from his bed. He padded his way over toward a bookshelf and reached toward the second book on the second shelf. He pulled it out of its place and flipped it to the middle book. A picture of a younger Mello, one unscarred and happy, fell to the floor. Near bent down to pick it up. It was the only picture in existence – after it became clear that Kira killed with a name and a face, Near made sure that all other were completely destroyed. But, for reasons he couldn't explain even to himself, he kept this one picture.

And, suddenly, Near had an idea.

He placed the picture, carefully, back into the book and slid it onto the bookshelf in its proper place. He then reached for the phone on his bedside table and called a number he had never used before.

"Why the hell are you calling me?"

He shouldn't be surprised that it was picked up on the first ring. "I have something of yours," Near said bluntly.

"What the fuck could you possibly have of mine?"

"Something that you do not want Kira to get his hands on," Near responded, making sure to keep his voice even despite the way his heart was pounding frantically in his chest. "If you want it in your possession, you will need to find your way into headquarters tonight."

"Near-" Mello growled.

"I will not keep the doors unlocked. You will need to find your own way in." And Near hung up as a flurry of cursing exploded throughout the phone.

He had no doubt Mello would be making an appearance after the challenge he just ensued.

He couldn't wait.


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: A lot of this dialogue is from the anime. Anything you recognize is not mine.

Near spent the day with a ball of nervous and excited energy in his chest. He forced himself to focus on the case as he built a roadway for his cars. If it ever came down to a car chase in New York, Near would be able to find his way (or talk someone else) through the streets. He was partway through said car chase when Rester came up to stand behind him. Near inwardly sighed. He disliked it when people did that. However, he also disliked it when people stood in front of him. When they were in front of him, they expected him to look them in the eye. It was uncomfortable.

"Near, I think it's time you told us your thoughts on the case," Rester commented and Near's hand tightened around the toy car. Almost unconsciously, his eyes shifted toward the clock on the far wall. He had no doubt that Mello would find a way into the building and he would rather it be when those working for him were no longer in the building. He supposed the quickest way for that to happen would be for him to answer the question.

Even if he did not want to do so.

"The current Kira is foolish and his exchange with the Japanese task force was far too convenient," Near finally said as he continued to move the car around the most direct path. "Taking that into consideration… Kira is probably conspiring with the Japanese task force."

"Conspiring?" Rester quickly jumped on the word.

"If that's the case, Kira is the new L."

"It can't be!" Rester said quickly and Near noticed that both Lidner and Gevanni pause in their typing. "Are you serious, Near?"

"Yes," Near pulled out some of his robots and the toys he had to represent the police department. If the building was compromised, how would they respond? "But even though I say that I'm serious, I'm only seven percent sure…" Seven percent was a much bigger percentage than most people were aware of. To most, it would seem like a dismal number. But to him and those that knew him well, seven percent was more consideration than he gave to most. Seven percent was outrageous.

Now he just needed the proof.

"Commander Rester, we have to make assumptions during an investigation," Near continued, knowing very well that the members of the SPK would not know just how big a seven percent chance was in his deductions.

It was time like this that he dreadfully missed those at Wammy House.

That ball of energy seemed to jump in his chest at the thought and he forcefully pushed thoughts of a certain blond-haired menace from his mind.

"If we're wrong, we can just say we're sorry," Near continued,

The shrill of a phone broke off Near's train of thought and he was thankful that the topic fell. He did not need to continue as he was sure Rester was not following his thought process. Near glanced up as Gevanni's voice rose. The phone was slammed down and Near watched as the large monitor in front of them was flicked on. "Sir, the President called a press conference we need to-"

Near raised his hand as the President of the United States appeared on the screen. "We, the United States of America…" Near's eyes narrowed as the man seemed to hesitate. If the statement about to be made did not somehow involve Kira, they would not have been notified. The fact that they were notified only minutes before said broadcast meant that it was something they did not want the SPK to be aware of. The hesitation of the President showed that he was unsure of either the statement itself or the peoples reaction to what he was going to say. This all led to one conclusion.

Near's hand tightened around his robot.

"…accept Kira and will do nothing to stand in his way…"

And there it was.

Near's mind began to flitter through possible scenarios as commotion exploded on the screen. The President's declaration meant that it was only a matter of time before the SPK building was turned over to Kira supporters. He did not want to leave the building, he had grown quite comfortable there, but he needed to rethink his plan of retreat.

"…but wars no longer exist," the President was saying as Near continued to stare at the screen, "Criminal organizations are in a state of ruin, not only in the United States but around the world… There is no mistake, whoever defies Kira will be killed. We know that Kira does not stand for justice but…as a country, we will not take any action to catch Kira."

For the first time since the broadcast started, Near felt himself outwardly frown at the words. Yes, he needed a new plan if he no longer had the backing of the United States government. He was sure the remaining members of the SPK would stick with him – they would be turned over to Kira supporters or betrayed by others if they did not.

He suddenly realized what it must feel like to be Mello.

After all, the older boy had spent years building his network to have it torn away from him.

And now Near, despite the vastly different approach that he took, had found himself in the same predicament.

"What'll happen to us?"

Near's jaw tightened as he looked down at the town he had made. "We've been dissolved because of that chicken of a president," he answered, annoyed that he even had to explain what had just happened. He thought it was fairly obvious. "No, not even a chicken. He's not even a maggot." _There is no way that accepting Kira can be good._ "Go home," Near ordered the remaining members of the SPK. "There are things we will need to take care of in the morning. I need to think."

He saw the three exchange glances from the corner of his eye but Lidner was the only one to move toward the door. "I have some things I want to work on," Rester told Near. Near paused as his hand reached toward his hair, yearning to feel the comfort it provided him. Gevanni avoided looking toward Near as he slid back into his chair and focused his eyes on his computer screen once more.

 _Well then…_

Near pursed his lips but didn't say anything. Instead, he reached forward and pushed his hand against his blocks, causing everything to come toppling down. He felt strangely satisfied as he watched it crash to the ground. Maybe he could understand why Mello always seemed to take such pleasure in destroying his structures.

Mello.

Near's eyes flickered toward the clock. His plan for the night seemed to have been derailed. He would assume that Mello would have seen the broadcast and become aware of the fact that coming to the SPK building tonight would not be possible. No matter, he had other things to focus on and he did not need to be worrying about the sociopathic blond as well. Mello was smart enough to realize that. Even if Near had purposely goaded him earlier that day.

"Near, it would be best for us to move to another location," Rester said lowly after what seemed like a few minutes to Near. In truth, it had probably been an hour or so. That tended to happen when he was lost in his own head.

"I am aware."

"Do you have a location in mind?"

Near's head tilted and he flicked the Kira robot onto the floor. "Japan."

Near watched in interest as Rester's eyes tightened and he nodded his head sharply. He turned back toward his station and Near tilted his head slightly. He did not know why the other man seemed to dislike the suggestion. It was apparent that they would have ended up in Japan eventually. Kira was located in Japan. Near had worked from the United States because of his deal with the government and because he had no inclination to die young. L had worked with the task force and been killed. Near knew his predecessor well enough to know that he would not have just given his name away willingly which meant that there was a leak somewhere or there was a piece of the puzzle that he was missing.

"Near!" Rester said sharply, once again pulling Near from his thoughts. Near glanced up and followed Rester's gaze. His shoulders sagged at the same time as that ball in his chest flared to life once again. Mello, there was no doubt in Near's mind that it was him even with the black hood pulled over his blond hair, was leading Lidner to the building with a gun against her head.

Well played.

"What should we do?" Rester asked, his eyes cutting toward Near.

It took everything in Near not to roll his eyes. Yes, sometimes he truly did miss Wammy's. "Let him in."

Rester did as instructed and Near pressed his palms against his legs to counter the sudden dampness in his palms. He truly didn't understand what it was he was feeling. He had seen Mello, unknown to his team, just a few days before. Why did he feel so…anxious? Excited? He couldn't put a name on the feeling. It wasn't something he had felt before. He closed his eyes and let out a silent but deep breath, not wanting to draw attention toward himself. He firmly pushed the foreign emotions away and waited.

He didn't have to wait long.

Mello strode into the room, the gun still focused on Lidner. Rester and Gevanni were both in front of Near, their own weapons drawn against the older boy. "Welcome Mello," Near said, taking everything in him to keep his voice calm.

"Thrown down your gun!" Rester snapped.

Near clenched his teeth. Ordering Mello was certainly no way of getting him to do what you wanted him to do. He had proven that time and time again. The only thing Rester was accomplishing was making Mello more obstinate.

"Everyone please put down your guns," Near said, not turning toward any of them. He had set up a train set at some point and was watching it go round in round as he sat in the middle of the circle. _Just focus on the train. Don't look toward them or you might betray more than you want. Might show more to Mello than you want._ "It is meaningless for us to shed blood here."

Near cut his eyes to the side when Gevanni protested. "But Mello killed the others."

"Don't make me repeat myself," Near said lowly, dangerously. He was well aware of what Mello had done. He was also aware that Mello would not do so again. Not at the moment, anyway. Not unless he was provoked. The percentage of him actually following through with his threat was growing the longer the two behind him kept their weapons drawn. He forced himself to take a deep breath and still his tone. "Our goal is to catch Kira," he said with forced calm. "Right now, killing Mello will not benefit us."

The words felt…wrong on his lips. He didn't understand it. He didn't like it.

He pushed it away.

There was a pause and then Rester lowered his gun, "All right…" Gevanni followed suite and then the only issue was whether Near could convince them to leave so he could speak with Mello alone.

He highly doubted it.

Near heard a rustle and knew that Mello had not only lowered his gun, he had most likely pulled his hood down as well. "Have things gone as you planned, Near?" Mello asked. Near felt a smirk pull at his lips. He was sure the others thought the comment was regarding Kira and the direction of their team but he knew better.

Mello was irritated that Near had forced him to return to headquarters.

"Yes," Near agreed and decided to further push the situation, "you've heard from Lidner, haven't you? About the second L?" He knew Mello would have forced more information from the woman than just how to get into the building. Not that it would have been difficult for him to do so. He was well aware that Lidner seemed to have a soft spot for the older detective. Near resolved himself to deal with that issue at a later date. "I've pretty much figured out who Kira is because of everything you've done." It was a game. They had already spoken of the issue, spoken of Near's belief that L and Kira, L and Light Yagami, were soulmates. But Mello, despite not liking Near, would understand what Near was telling him. Despite Near having these people with him, working for him, he did not completely trust them. They were not aware just how far Near's investigation had come and he did not want Mello to admit to his own intelligence in the matter.

Not yet.

And Mello, despite the irritation he felt, played along.

Of course, it wasn't in a way Near had expected.

"Near!" The other boy roared as he pointed his gun at Near's head.

For some reason, Near wanted to laugh. He shoved the impulse away quickly.

Well, he supposed that would be one way of discovering if a markmate could actually kill another.

"I am not your tool to solve your puzzles!" Mello continued and Near knew that the other wasn't talking about Kira. Well, not directly. Mello most likely believed that Near had wanted him here to continue their conversation about 'soulmates'. Near could work with that. Afterall, he didn't have a true reason for that overwhelming urge to see the other boy. Mello would not believe such a thing if Near admitted to it. Near didn't even understand it.

Still, could Mello shoot him? If he was unaware of their connection, would he be able to do so? Would he feel some sort of consequence if he did? "Mello, shoot me if you want," Near commented, his eyes slightly glassy as he considered the option.

There was the sound of movement and Near briefly thought that Mello was going to comply with his wishes, but then he heard a voice. Lidner. "Mello! If you shoot Near, we'll have no choice but to shoot you. What'll happen if you both die? Only Kira will be happy!"

Near's jaw clenched. He was beginning to get very irritated with Lidner's…familiarity with Mello. He might have to handle that issue sooner than he thought. "Hmph, that's true," Mello complied and Near's hands tightened on his knees. Mello would have never given in so easily if Near had been the one to say something. Why did he do so for Lidner?

"Near, I just came to retrieve that photograph you have in me," Mello stated firmly and Near's lips twitched. Ah, so he had figured it out.

Near reached for the photo and held it deftly between two fingers. "Yes. This is the photograph. There's only one, no copies," Near had made sure of that. "I've already dealt with everyone who knows your face at Wammy's house and elsewhere." He made sure not to look toward Mello at the confession. He wasn't sure what he would see on the others face and he wasn't sure that he wanted to know. He threw the photo toward Mello, who caught it easily. "I can't say I'm a hundred percent certain but it's safe to say you won't be killed by the notebook." Something tugged in Near's brain. That missing piece once again. He saw Mello flip the photo over from the corner of his eye and he felt his throat go dry. He had hoped the other wouldn't do so until he was out of the building. "Is that all, Mello?"

Mello looked up and his eye caught Near's. Near's breath stuck in his throat at the look. Something almost vulnerable was on Mello's face. Near found himself replaying memories of their time at Wammy's. On the day that they met when Mello had stood up for him with the other kids. When Mello had sat up with him when he was terrified on his first night. How he sat with him during lessons and meals… until Near surpassed the other on an exam. Suddenly, whatever friendship that had been formed disappeared and Near found himself as an outcast once more. But there had been moments…moments when he thought Mello still cared for him. Until the day they found out about L. Mello had yelled, had protested working together. Mello had _left_.

He hadn't wanted Mello to leave.

"Near…" Mello said and suddenly, Near did not want to hear what the other had to say. Because he knew that it would be a repeat of things he had heard before.

And Near did not want to hear it again.

"I am planning on contacting the Japanese task force," Near said quickly, facing forward once more so he was not looking at his one-time friend. "Would you like to stay?"

He saw Rester turn toward him sharply. "Near-"

"Fine," Mello cut the older man off and Near heard the distinct sound of Mello snapping off a piece of chocolate. "Just to see if my suspicions are correct."

Near couldn't stop his lips from twisting up into a smile. He quickly twirled a strand of hair between his fingers. "Of course."

"There's something you should know," Mello said as he took a few steps toward the side and slid down into Rester's chair. His hand did not stray from his gun but Near felt more than saw that the other kept his eyes firmly on him. "To repay you for the picture. The killer notebook – it's a Shinigami's notebook. Whoever touches it can see a Shinigami." Near's eyes met the blonde's once more. _Is that why you look so haunted, Mello?_

"That's crazy!"

"Who would believe that?!"

"I believe him," Near said calmly, turning his head so Mello could meet his gaze full on. As uncomfortable as it made Near, he was well aware that Mello was skilled at reading people and he wanted the other to know that he was sincere. At least at the moment. "What good would it do for Mello to lie like that? He would at least tell a better lie, or something that has some truth to it. Therefore, Shinigami really exist."

Mello didn't look away. "The notebook I had was one that belonged to someone other than a Shinigami," Mello continued, still not glancing toward the others in the room. "Also… there were fake rules within the rules written in it."

"Which rules?"

Mello's eyebrows rose. "You'll need to figure that out on your own."

Near accepted the challenge and turned back toward the train. "I suppose you would like something to eat. One of you get him some food."

"Near-"

"We will contact the Japanese task force once Mello is done. I need to think."

He heard a snort come from Mello's direction but Near didn't bother to look at him. Instead, he began to think on the information the blond had just given him as he pulled out a deck of tarot cards and began to place them in a circle around him. Shinigami were real. At least one of the rules in the notebook were fake. A fake rule. _Judging from previous events, there is no doubt that the notebook can cause heart attacks and control its victims, to a degree. As for burning or tearing the notebook, the book still exists and there is no way to test it. In that case… the fake rule is the rule that a person will die if he doesn't write a name within thirteen days…_

Near's lips twisted up and someone on his right let out an irritated sigh. Near blinked and turned his head, not surprised to see the person in question was Mello but certainly surprised to see the blonde sitting on the floor beside him, just outside the card circle. "You figured it out, didn't you?"

"Possibly," Near agreed, glancing around the room. Neither Lidner nor Rester were there and Gevanni was working at his station. Near was faintly puzzled that the other two had left him in a room with Mello, but he was in no way upset by the turn of events.

He almost wished Gevanni was gone as well.

"Do not speak," Near warned Mello. The blond's eyes flashed angrily but Near just turned his attention toward the other man in the room. "Gevanni. Get me L."

Mello's mouth snapped shut.

The call rang through. "Yes?"

Near eyed Mello warily as the gothic L appeared on their screen. "L, we've caught Mello," Near started Mello turned his head toward him sharply and Near was quick to shake his head. Mello clenched his jaw and gripped his chocolate bar tightly. Near couldn't help but wonder if anyone had ever brought Mello that food he had requested. Footsteps behind him alerted him that Lidner and Rester had joined them yet again. "But he escaped."

Mello's somewhat angry and betrayed expression transformed into one of amusement. "However, we were able to interrogate him a little." Oh, there went the amusement. Near was fascinated. He had never been able to get over the way Mello's emotions flashed across his face, so easy to read and so quick to change.

"He didn't escape. You let him go," the fake L claimed. "Isn't that right?"

 _No, it really isn't._ "No, he really did escape," Near continued, already growing bored by the conversation. He wanted this part to be over so he could move on to the real reason he called.  
"By the way, Mello said that there is a Shinigami attached to the notebook," oh, there was that betrayed expression again. "Have you been able to confirm any such theory?"

"Yes. Shinigami do exist. I kept it a secret because I didn't think you'd believe me."

Mello's head snapped toward the screen. That just confirmed what he had said and now there was no reason for Near's men to disbelieve him. Near doubted that the thought bothered Mello but it made Near feel a bit…triumphant.

"I'd like to talk to the Shinigami about some things," Near continued, carefully hiding how he was feeling. "The thing that bothers me the most is the fact that there is a fake rule among the rules written int the notebook. L, tell me what you think. Which rule do you think is fake?"

There was a moment of silence and Mello leaned over, pressing his lips close enough to Near that they brushed against him as he spoke. Near felt his body shudder. "What are you doing?" Mello breathed out. Near's hand came up instantly to twist in his hair as he shook his head toward the other. Mello scowled but sat back again. Near felt himself relax as the blonde moved away.

"By elimination, it would have to be the one that requires the owner of the notebook to write a name within 13 days," the fake L finally said.

"I thought you'd say that. I think so, too," Near replied.

"Shinigami, was there a fake rule among the rules written in the notebook?"

And Near knew that he had him.

His lips twisted into a victorious smile and he saw the members of SPK exchange a startled glance. Mello, however, shook his head and rolled his eyes. "So there's a Shinigami there with you?"

"Yes."

"I see…" Near wanted to laugh. This was easier than he thought it would be. Now, to place doubt within the minds of the other task force members. "I pretty much get the picture. In other words, Kira is there and he's making the Shinigami lie." His mind began working quickly but it was easy to see his next move. "Even if testing the thirteen-day rule benefits the Kira investigation, there shouldn't be any drawbacks. I shall put my life on the line." Mello furiously turned toward him but Near held up a hand. He knew he would hear the others tirade soon enough but it needed to wait until after the call was complete.

"Wait a moment. We need to think about the suggestion."

The call went quiet and Mello instantly jumped to his feet and pulled Near to his feet. "What the hell are you doing?!" Mello hissed.

Near hung limply in Mello's hold. "They won't agree."

"But what if they do?!"

"They won't."

"Dammit, Near!"

"Near, we cannot allow you to test the notebook."

Mello let out a breath but didn't release his hold. Near just looked into the blue eyes as he responded, "I thought you would say that. And lastly, one more thing…to the members of the Japanese Task Force. Was there ever a time that Second L was thought to be Kira? If you've listened to the conversation and want to help my investigation, call the number I'm going to give you. I'll answer." Near read off the number and then motioned for Gevanni to shut off the connection. As soon as the screens went dark, Mello's hand tightened around Near's shirt once more and he drew the younger boy toward him.

"What the hell are you thinking?!"

"Mello!"

"Leave it," Near said, a bit more harshly than he intended by the taken aback expression on Linder's face. However, he couldn't find it in himself to feel guilty. "I know what I am doing."

"You're going to get yourself killed! Haven't you learned about playing with people's heads?!"

"No," Near disagreed, tilting his head to stare into Mello's eyes once more. "L always said that was my weakness. That is why he wanted us to work together."

The hold on his shirt was instantly gone and Near found himself falling onto the floor. "Don't talk about that. Don't talk about him. You – you know that wouldn't have worked! You know that we-"

"It seemed to work well today," Near commented, wanting to disagree with the older boy and force him to see reason. He once again remembered the seven-year-old that sat up with him each night when Near fought off his nightmares. They had worked together then. Why couldn't they do so now?

"I don't want to work with you."

Near fought back a sigh. "I know."

Mello continued to stare at him, as if he was waiting for something, but Near didn't know what that something was. After a moment, Mello scoffed and took a bite of his chocolate bar, turning on his heel and walking toward the door. "Fine. Don't contact me. I'm leaving for Japan in the morning."

And then he was gone before Near could figure out how to respond.


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: If anyone is enjoying this story, please review and let me know! Once again, some of the dialogue is from the manga for this chapter, so it isn't mine.

Near's lips twisted into a scowl as he glanced at the clock for third time in the last ten minutes. The words Mello said earlier that night kept repeating in Near's mind, despite the fact that Near was attempting to get a few hours of needed sleep. Or the fact that there were many other things he should be pondering that were more important than Mello.

 _"Fine. Don't contact me."_

 _"Haven't you learned anything about playing with people's heads?!"_

Near closed his eyes tightly and rolled over onto his side. When he did, Mello's blue eyes flashed into his mind, a look in them that he couldn't decipher. He knew that Mello did not wan to work with him. That was made plain when he walked out of Wammy's after they were told of L's death. So why did the blonde feel the need to reiterate that statement earlier that night? And why had he stared at Near after he said it, as if he was waiting for Near to say something?

Or _do_ something?

Near's eyes flew open. _Oh_. Was there a possibility that Mello would be open to changing his mind? Mello had always been very stubborn. He would go out of his way to make sure he was proven correct, even if he later learned he was not. But if Near had attempted to sway him, was there a possibility that he would have agreed?

Normally, Near would say that the chance of such a thing would be 8.3%.

However, the fallout of Mello's connections made that number raise to 27%.

Mello said he was going to Japan. As far as he knew, Mello did not have any contacts in the country. So he would be meeting with someone. After the conclusion of his last 'team', Mello would go to someone that he trusted.

Near was 53% certain that person would be Matt.

Matt had been ranked third at Wammy House and he had always been close to Mello. Near would never admit it, but he had been surprised when the redhead had not joined Mello when he left. Near had contemplated offering Matt a position on his own team but the chance of him agreeing was 6%. He would have seen such a thing as betraying Mello, despite Mello leaving him behind. Near had not been able to bring himself to make the offer.

If Mello was indeed joining Matt, the chances of Mello agreeing to a partnership raised drastically.

Mello had always been illogical when it came to his emotional responses. Near had never understood why Mello did the things he did. However, Mello leaving Wammy House without Matt had been an easy decision to understand. Matt was the closest thing Mello had to family beyond L. L had already been killed by Kira. Mello did not want Matt to meet the same fate.

Now, if he had decided to allow Matt to join him, Mello would do anything in his power to make sure Matt stayed alive.

Even if that 'anything' included joining forces with Near.

Near let out a deep breath and he rolled onto his other side. No doubt that Mello would be disinclined to speak with him after the events of the night. Mello had seemed very angry with him. That was one of those responses Near did not understand. Mello has always disliked him. Mello should not be so upset about Near's offer to write in the Death Note. If he was killed, Mello would take the title of L. The very thing he had been fighting for since he was brought to Wammy House at the age of six.

Near forced his eyes closed. There was no point in dwelling on this until he had more data.

No, that was incorrect. There was no point in dwelling on this at all.

Mello had said they would not be working together.

Near would take that as his decision.

For now.

Near was exhausted the next day and it showed. He had circles under his eyes that rivaled his predecessors and he was barely keeping himself in check from snapping at the members of his team. Usually, he was good at keeping his opinions on their intelligence and idiocies to himself but he had bitten his lip more than once that day in order to keep the words inside his head.

This situation was in no way helping.

"Near, a man named Mogi from the Japanese task force is going to show up at your place very soon. He's a well-built man, about 6'2"," Mello said in Near's ear. To say that Near had been surprised to get a call from the other man was a shock would be an understatement. But now this… "Now it's my turn to use you. I want you to let him in and ask him everything you need. But keep his cell phone on so that I can listen to your conversation through it. If L is really Kira, then pull information out of him that will convince me." The plane in Near's hand dropped to the floor. Mello knew that the current L was Kira. They both did. It just proved Near's point that Mello did not think straight when it came to 'soulmates' and the legend that surrounded them. It was not logical. "I know you're good at that stuff. If you can do that, then I'll get Kira myself."

"Mello does not need to do that," the words slipped out before Near could stop them. "Mello could just-"

"We've talked about this," Mello said sharply. Near's jaw clenched but he pushed his arguments away. Hadn't he said he was going to let it go? He glanced up at the screen in front of him. The man was there, waiting to be let in. No doubt Mello was close by as well.

 _I have no reason to doubt that this man truly is from the Japanese taskforce. But if this man happens to be L and Kira…Well, it's hard to believe Mello would directly contact L and Kira would personally take action. I do not believe Mello would try to kill me. However…_

"Gevonni, call L," Near said, the phone still pressed to his ear.

"Near? What the hell are you doing?" Mello growled.

Near ignored the irate blond as the call connected. "Yes Near?" the familiar tone of the fake L came through the speakers.

"Sorry, I called the wrong number," Near replied, motioning for Gevonni to end the call. The man did so instantly, his brows pulled together in confusion. Mello laughed loudly from Near's phone.

"You paranoid bastard," the blond laughed. Near rolled his eyes in response, glad the other was not there to see the action.

"Let him in," Near declared. "Mello, I agree to your terms." He motioned for a headset, not comfortable with not being able to hear or speak to Mello if needed when the interrogation was taking place. Lidner was quick to comply and Near placed the headset on his head, scrunching up his nose at the uncomfortable feeling.

"I didn't give you much of a choice."

"What happened to Japan?" Near questioned lowly as Rester moved to intercept their unexpected visitor.

"I think we can discuss that later."

Near frowned, not liking the fact that he would have to wait for an answer, but the door sliding open snapped his attention back toward the current situation. "Hello. Pleased to meet you. I'm Near," he said, keeping himself facing away from the other man for now. "Please sit down. There are a lot of things I want to talk to you about."

From the corner of his eye, Near saw the big man sink into the chair Rester led him to, a shocked expression on his face. No doubt that the man expected to meet Mello. There was even a 64% possibility that the fake L was currently tracking the other man. No matter, Near expected to vacate the SPK building soon anyway. After the president's announcement, it was only a matter of time. Near lifted one leg so it was pressed against his chest and turned his body so he was facing the Japanese man. "Mogi, isn't it? All Mello wants to do is capture Kira. Just like we do. I'm sure you understand that."

Mogi didn't respond and Near silently cursed Mello. This was not a good day for the blond to pull something like this. A bit of time to prepare would have been nice.

He plastered an innocent expression on his face, one that had gotten him out of trouble more than once when he was at Wammy's House. "Won't you cooperate with us? And put your life at stake. You've met the former L, the _real_ L, right? Is there anybody in the current team who L suspected, even in the slightest, of being Kira?" The man stared at him impassively and Near wondered why Mello had chosen this man out of everyone to bring here. "Even a yes or no would suffice."

Silence. Near pursed his lips and glanced down at the train he had been playing with before this situation occurred. This was not getting him anywhere. "Mello, there is a chance that this investigator is already being controlled by Kira so that he won't say anything."

There was the sound of snapping chocolate before the older teen answered. "Right, Near. If he doesn't say anything, I think we can assume that Kira is in the Japanese taskforce. There's no reason for him not to want to cooperate to get Kira, even if it's not by the notebook, he's still being controlled." Near turned his head, keeping his eyes on the Japanese man at the words. Something in Mogi's eyes darkened. Hmm…

"I actually had a bunch of guys test the notebook a number of ways," Mello started and Near turned his head down quickly so no one would see him flinch. He knew how, and on who, Mello tested the notebook on. He didn't like the reminder. "But nobody who wrote the names down died after thirteen days."

Near glanced up at Mogi once again. "The writer will not die even if that person does not write anything down for more than thirteen days. Is there anything that strikes you as odd about this, Mogi?" Near questioned as the man's hands tightened into fists. "Even the slightest thing will do." The man continued to stare at him. "All we want to do is get Kira, so there's no reason for us to lie to you. I'm sure it is uneasy for you to have one of your members suspected of being Kira. Then it should be much easier if we talk about it and settle this problem for all."

Mogi just stared.

Near sucked in a deep breath.

This was going to be a long day.

He really should have gotten more sleep.


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: More dialogue from the manga. I needed to get this part finished so I could move on with the story! lol. Please review!

Near was growing irritated. Well, more so than he had already been. Either Mogi was unable to speak or he was truly impressive. Near had not been able to get one word out of the man in the two days he had been here and neither had any of his men. It was disappointing and Near had no doubt that Mello was stewing as he listened in on their conversations.

He wondered how long the other man would be able to wait before he appeared at headquarters himself.

Near did not believe in any sort of higher power but if he did, he would pray that the blonde realized what a bad idea something like that would be. If Near was correct and Mogi was under the control of Kira, he did not want there to be an option of the man knowing of Mello's appearance.

Near had to bite back another annoyed sigh as he slowly stood and shuffled toward the door. "I will take a few hours to sleep. Keep an eye on him." Rester nodded his head in acknowledgement and Near slipped out of the main room.

"You really wasting time sleeping?" Mello's voice rang in his ear.

"Mogi's phone is still connected," Near said tonelessly as he stepped into his room and closed his door softly. "You will be able to hear Rester's questioning. I will disconnect the headset-"

"You know he's probably being tracked, right?" Mello demanded and Near winced at the loud question. He sighed audibly, knowing the action would annoy the other man, and sat on his bed.

"I am aware."

"Kira is going to come after you."

"That is the plan."

"Bullshit," Mello snapped and Near heard the familiar sound of a chocolate bar being bitten into. "You had no idea that Mogi was coming. You couldn't have possibly-"

"Mello did make me change my plans," Near admitted, laying back against the bed and frowning as the headset pressed against him uncomfortably. "However, I have plans in place."

"Of course you do," Mello huffed. "And one of those include a way for you to get out of that place without being seen, right?"

Near blinked up at the ceiling. "Is Mello worried about me?"

"Like hell," Mello snapped loudly, his voice hitting a pitch that Near did not think he would have heard from the other man again. His voice sounded reminiscent of the Mello knew almost six years ago. "If Kira saw your pale ass face things would be a lot easier for me!"

"I am disconnecting the headset," Near said and he had to pause as the words escaped him. Was that truly his voice? He sounded…odd. Almost as if he was upset about Mello's comment. That should not be the case. Near had heard such comments from Mello since they were children. The words would not affect him.

"Near-"

"Goodnight, Mello," Near said before the other could continue what he was saying. He quickly switched off the headset and lifted it from his head, setting it on the small table beside his bed. Mello would no doubt find a way to make him regret that at another time. Best to not give the blonde the opportunity to do so.

Near allowed himself to only sleep for three hours. He sleepily made his way back into the main room, leaving the headset on the bedside table, and noted that Mogi was still sitting in the chair and Rester had an irritated frown on his face, and sank onto the floor. There was no reason to ask how the last few hours went.

"You should have taken a few more hours," Lidner commented as she turned from her station. Near ignored the way she studied his face, most likely noticing the dark circles that had been growing under his eyes.

"I am fine," Near responded lowly, pulling out the bin that held his robots. He had been pulled from his sleep by a nagging feeling and he needed to work through their departure plan once more. Perhaps it was because of Mello's comment the a few hours earlier. Perhaps, somewhere in his subconscious, he knew that there were flaws in the original design. Whichever it was, he needed to decipher what it was that was worrying him.

They had a second headquarters, one not known by anyone but the SPK members, set up. They had a group of men ready to distract and the armor prepared so they could disappear into the group without anyone knowing who they were. But Kira now had the support of the American government. His supporters had grown substantially within the last five years. And the American public were fickle. Even those that were against Kira would not stop an attack against the SPK. Near knew that his actions had been annoying Light Yagami. They had been designed to do so. He had not factored in the coward of a President.

Near's head snapped up. That was it. "Commander Rester!" Rester's head snapped around and Near motioned toward the man to come closer. The man did so, bending down so Near could whisper his directions in his ear. The last thing he needed was for the Japanese Taskforce to overhear him.

Rester's eyebrows shot up and he slowly nodded his head. "It will be done."

"Quickly," Near commanded, looking back toward his robots. If he was correct, Kira would soon be making his move and everything needed to be in place before he did so.

He would not lose to Kira.

The day continued and Near was not surprised in the least to find that a crowd was slowly forming outside of the SPK building.

Kira had made his move.

However, it was not yet time for Near to worry.

"We should evacuate," Lidner commented lowly so the phone Mogi was carrying would not be able to pick up the comment.

Near did not look up from his robots as he responded, "no."

Lidner's lips pursed but she did not disagree with him.

Near would not have cared if she did.

The noise from outside the building began to grow louder and Near's lips twitched when Rester switched the camera's outside the building to the main monitor. Not only was there a mob outside the building, there was a helicopter with a camera pointed their way. _Well played, Kira. But not well enough._

A loud crash sounded throughout the building. "Near, if we stay here, we're going to be dragged out," Lidner finally said, staring at the monitor as the mob attempted to break down the door.

"We have no choice but to bring our in our men and-" Rester began but a loud beep of the computers cut the man off mid-sentence. The gothic L appeared on the screen and Near couldn't help but roll his eyes as the fake L's worried tone filtered through the system.

"What's the problem, Near? I knew that Mello sent our investigator Mogi to your place and we asked him to remain silent while we listened to what you had to say, in order to figure out if you were worthy of our trust and cooperation. But if this continues on, Mogi will be…" The voice drifted for a moment before continuing, "Is this a plan by Mello to get rid of the SPK? Or was the SPK so poorly organized that even the public was able to find out where your hideout was?"

Near was really thankful at that moment he had decided to leave the headset in his room. He would not have been able to concentrate if he had Mello's rant in his ear. _Damn it, he's lying through his teeth,_ Near thought as his hand tightened on his robot until the head snapped off. _Damn_! Near sighed and reached for the closest headset so he could respond to the other man.

"Near, you must escape!"

"Look who's talking, Kira," he couldn't help but mutter as he stared down at his broken robot. He had really liked that one. It was one he had gotten from Roger during Christmas at Wammy's when he was ten.

"Wh-what?" Yagami stuttered. Near's impatience with the act began to grow. "Are you still going on about that? If you don't do something, Mogi's going to be killed too! You must escape!"

Near sighed in annoyance, not caring if the other man heard the action. "All this happened after Mr. Mogi showed up. There are only a handful of people who could have known that he was coming here. There are other organizations in other countries that are also trying to capture Kira, so I find it hard to believe that this is a mere coincidence. You are Kira. You did it with the hopes of killing all the SPK members and Mogi. And once we all die, you're to kill everybody else on the Japanese taskforce. That's your plan."

"Wh-what? Stop joking, Near! You're making a mistake and assuming it's correct!"

"Everyone on the Japanese taskforce, Kira is among you, at the very least. Please think about that." Near was tired of this. For years, he had wanted to be L. He had worked to be L. When he found out that L was dead, he had been devastated, despite what Mello and others thought. L had been the one to find him and bring him to Wammy house. L had been the first person to accept him. He knew that L had been just as important to Mello. And yet, L had died because of this case. He had been killed by Kira. It was a game and L had lost.

Near was ready for the game to be over.

He turned off the connection and frowned down at his broken robot. It truly was a shame. "Near, we've got to do something fast-" Rester proclaimed, breaking Near's thoughts once more.

Near looked at the monitor which was once again showing the events outside the building. "Such foolish people. I'm not surprised that some people support Kira. But those people hope that Kira will bring justice to an evil world…the people who are storming the building area a completely different type. A far more hopeless kind. They either end up as killers acting completely opposite from Kira's true values because they worship so blindly, or they are 'if you can't beat them, join them' type who followed the worshippers here." He tilted his head as another thought occurred to him. "Or they are idiots who just want to rampage and enjoy themselves. And quite a few of them are actually against Kira…"

"Near! This isn't the time to analyze the people down there!"

"On the contrary. Originally, Kira supporters were observers who didn't want to be hurt themselves…the ones rampaging are egocentric people who just want to enjoy themselves, right?"

"Ye-yes, but-"

"Then we'll use that to our advantage by using L's fortune and all the anti-kira people we hired," Near concluded, falling into their second plan. He had been right to consider the option.

"B-but that plan is just a stoppage measure-"

"Let's do it. We should be prepared." Near couldn't help but smirk toward the other man, feeling something that might be considered as excitement flowing through him. "It's going to be fun."

Rester nodded sharply and sent the order. Near watched the screen in interest as the money began to fall from the building, money that had been left by L. It would certainly be more difficult without it but Near was confident that they had enough to last them until the end of this investigation. More could be earned as it was needed. And it was kind of fun to see the sheep-like people completely forget about their goal and dive toward the green bills floating toward the ground. "Mello, we're going to escape now, so I'm going to turn off Mr. Mogi's cell phone." He heard the beep as Rester did as Near said and the younger man couldn't help but cackle in his head, knowing that Mello was most likely watching the action and cursing him.

He wondered if the blond would attempt to claim some of the money as well.

It would not surprise Near if he did.

Near stood and gathered his robots in his arms, looking sadly at the broken one still lying on the floor. "Commander Rester, get everyone in their gear and tell them that they will receive rewards far greater than those they see right now…it will be better to have some of them completely blinded by the reward. Please tell them that."

Near and the others slipped into their gear and Near ordered that Rester handcuff himself to Mogi. They were able to get out of the building easily enough and Near was confident that the distraction had worked as planned. As they all gathered inside one of the black vans that had been assembled, Near was not the least surprised to see a familiar figure lingering in the darkened corner of the alley. _Are you here to make sure I got out? Or to see me fail? Either way, this time, I won._


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: Finally, we get to the good stuff! I hope you enjoy. Please review!

The team settled into their new headquarters easily enough. Near had made sure the building was prepared in the event that it was needed and there was not anything they had to do without. There was even a wall lined with shelving that held some of Nears action figures, robots, cards, dice, and other stimulating objects. Near was happy to get out of the armor he had been wearing – it was uncomfortable and difficult to move in. He shifted happily, feeling the soft cotton fabric against his skin as he sank down onto the floor. "Gevanni, can you make contact with L?"

"It will take a couple of days," Gevanni replied as he began to set up the system once more.

Near nodded his head in acknowledgement. It would take some time to set up their security properly and hack into the Japanese Taskforce's system once again. A couple of days would give Near time to prepare for the upcoming conversation and plan for the next few steps in their game.

"What the hell?!" Gevanni yelled out and Near's head snapped up. Each and every screen was flooding with images, images that flashed by so quickly Near was just able to comprehend some of them before they were changing again. Children laughing, yelling, farm animals, a large brick building, a panda…and a specific letter.

m

Near sighed and reached toward the headset that had been placed beside Gevanni. "Sir-"

Near merely ignored the protest and slid the headset on. "Hello, Matt. I don't suppose you would like to tell me how you were able to infiltrate our security so quickly."

"Not really," came the mocking voice of who had once been L's third successor. "It wouldn't be as fun if I told you. Really though, you should know better than to think I couldn't get in if I wanted to."

"If Matt would work with the SPK-"

"Not happening, Near," Matt replied bluntly and Near's nose scrunched up. Matt had only come to Wammy House a few years before L's death but he had fallen in with Mello almost instantly. Near would admit that he had felt a bit…envious at the ease in which the two interacted. However, Mello had left and Near had been able to forge a somewhat tentative friendship with the redhead before he himself had left Wammy House. He had offered Matt a position on the team, fully aware that there was no one better with computers than the slightly older boy, but he had declined. Near knew that Matt had been waiting for Mello.

It seemed that waiting had not been in vain.

"What can I do for Matt?" Near questioned, sitting on the floor in his customary position as he began to twirl a piece of hair around his finger. It was odd that the other would contact him.

"You can stop being a dumbass," came Matt's instant reply. Near caught the taken aback expressions on the members of SPK's faces and inwardly grimaced. He should have known a little decorum was out of the question. Amusement flashed across Mogi's face. Near briefly wondered if the man knew who Matt was. There was a very small chance of such a thing. Mello had been keeping Matt well hidden, even Near hadn't been sure until this moment if the redhead was involved in the investigation.

"Matt's opinion is noted," Near retorted dryly. "However, I do not know to what he is currently referring."

There was a moment of silence, Gevanni and Lidner exchanging glances and Rester's eyes narrowed on the monitor. Finally, an exasperated sigh came through the speakers. "Yeah, I don't think you wanna have this conversation in front of your minions. You have a phone. Answer it."

The monitors went black and Near barely had time to take the headset off before Rester held out the phone Near had set up in case someone from the Japanese taskforce took up his offer. Near did not even question how Matt had found the number. Near's shoulders dropped as he looked at the unknown caller flashing across the screen. "Should I-" Rester started. Near shook his head and pulled himself to his feet. He took the phone from Rester's hand and deftly pressed it against is ear.

"What is it?"

"Is that how you answer a call from an old friend?" Matt asked in amusement. "I'm hurt, Near. You should be more excited to hear from me."

"Matt just hacked into my system and will not tell me how he did so," Near snapped back, his free hand finding his hair once more as he moved into the small room attached to the main work space. This building was certainly much smaller than his previous but it would work for the moment. And at least this room offered a bit of privacy. "And then proceeded to call me names."

"Right, you knew I could get in. And you _are_ a dumbass."

"Matt has not told me-"

"This thing between you and Mello has to stop," Matt said firmly, all of the amusement fading from his voice as he said the words. "You're going to get the both of you killed."

Near drew back instantly, his shoulder's tensing. "I am not the one-"

"Yeah, yeah," Matt sighed and Near heard the telltale sound of the redhead sucking in a deep breath. He was most likely smoking a cigarette. "Mello should have agreed to work together. We both know why he didn't. But we also both know you could have changed his mind."

Near's brows drew together. "Not so. Mello was adamant-"

"Mello didn't know the full situation," Matt snapped back. "he's obsessed with winning against you when he should be focused on winning against _Kira_."

"That is not my fault."

"No," Matt agreed, "it isn't. Mello has been trying for year to prove himself, first to L and now to you. He doesn't see that the two of you both have qualities that the other lacks. If either of you want a chance against Kira, you need to work together."

Near's hand tightened around the phone. He _knew_ that. He had always known that. At this point, he was focusing on defeating Kira and keeping himself, and Mello, alive. Mello did not seem to have the same priorities and Near was aware of that fact. However, he failed to see why Matt was placing that fault on him.

"Mello is going to get himself killed," Matt sighed before taking another deep breath. "And I have a feeling I'll be right there with him. Is that what you want, Near? Both of us out of the way, both of us _dead_ , just like L? You want to be left alone with your little team? With _Roger_? Do you want-"

"Of course I don't," Near snapped, tired of the accusations. His heart was pounding in his chest and blood seemed to be rushing in his ears. That was the only reason he could explain why there was some sort of roaring sound. "I was not the one that refused such a partnership. I have offered more than once-"

"We both know that Mello wouldn't agree to that."

"Then why is it my fault?" Near demanded, his entire body shaking at the words Matt was throwing at him and the utter confusion of the conversation. He just did not understand why he could be blamed when Matt admitted that Mello was the one that would not forge a partnership.

"Because it wouldn't have gotten this far if you had just told Mello the two of you were soulmates."

Everything seemed to freeze. Near stared at the far wall, his eyes not able to focus. All sound in the room disappeared. All that he could hear were those words, echoing throughout his mind.

 _It wouldn't have gotten this far if you had just told Mello the two of you were soulmates._

 _It wouldn't have gotten this far if you had just told Mello the two of you were soulmates._

 _…wouldn't have gotten this far…_

 _…told Mello the two of you were soulmates…_

 _…soulmates..._

"How?" Near finally managed to ask. He could barely force the words through his lips and he was startled by the raspy sound of his own voice. He wasn't supposed to sound like that. He never sounded like that.

"Saw your mark. Years ago. You and I both know that Mello would have been more inclined to listen to what you had to say if he had known the truth. Hell, he would probably still listen if you told him now. He'd be pissed but he'd-"

"Mello cannot know!" Near practically yelled into the phone. He sucked in a quick breath and forced himself to calm down, closing his eyes and breathing deeply in an attempt to force the emotions that threatened to overpower him back into the box they belonged in. "Matt must promise to not tell him."

"I've kept it a secret this long, haven't I? Besides, it isn't my place to tell him. It's yours. And it's about damn time that you did. Think about it before you run out of time completely."

The phone went dead in Near's hand and he shakily lowered it to his side. Think about it? About admitting one of the biggest secrets in his life to Mello? No. He would not do it. They had to focus on Kira, on completing this investigation. They had to focus on surviving. This was not the time for such frivolities. However…

Matt was worried. He would not have contacted Near if he was not. He truly believed that there was a significant chance that he and Mello would not make it out of the Kira investigation alive.

And Near had to admit that the information changed things.

What was his next step? His plans for the investigation did not include alerting Mello to their…unfortunate shared connection. Near did not fully believe in the 'miracle' of the marks. He did not believe in soulmates. Yet, Mello did.

Near could use that.

He was just not sure that he wanted to.

"Commander Rester, please get me the most accurate and informative books on the soulmark phenomenon," Near said as he slowly made his way back into the main investigation room. All three members of the SPK paused in their work and turned toward him, eyes wide. Even Mogi seemed surprised by the request and he eyed Near warily from his place in the chair.

"…soulmarks?" Rester questioned incredulously.

Near nodded his head and pulled his robots toward him. "Some information has come to light that makes the research important. Please get it to me quickly."

"What sort of information-"

"All will be explained in time," Near cut the older man off. He would not explain that the books were for a personal reason. After he was able to prove that Light Yagami was Kira and that he and L had been markmates, Near could say the research was for that purpose. But at the moment, such a revelation would be too soon and would make him explain more than he was willing. "I would also like to speak to all of you about the topic. Gevanni, would you like to go first?"

The younger man blinked and shot a look toward Rester. The commander nodded his head and Gevanni slowly stood. He walked into the small room that Near had just vacated and Near made himself comfortable on the floor as Gevanni stood uncomfortably by the door. "You can sit down," Near sighed, gesturing toward the table and chair against the far wall. "I will admit that I do not know much about the subject. Please act as if you were speaking to someone who had never heard of the topic."

Gevanni's mouth dropped open in surprise but he nodded his head and sank into the chair. Near drew his leg up toward his chest, twirling a piece of hair around his fingers as he focused on the other man. Gevanni seemed to be trying to put his thoughts in order and Near patiently waited for him to start. After a few minutes, the man slowly nodded his head and began to speak. "Soulmates are people that share a connection. They are said to be missing pieces of the other. Plato said that humans originally had four arms, four legs, and one head with two faces. The humans were said to have the capabilities to conquer the Gods and the Gods decided to split the humans. The humans, once split, were in utter misery and longed for their other half. Once they found one another, they were once again complete. It is said that one of the Gods felt guilty for what they had done when they saw the pain that the humans were in. Because of that, the god created soulmarks so the humans had a way to find their other half." Near listened. He knew the story, it was one of the legends he had been told at Wammy House and one of the few he had actually studied as he had known it would be on their test, but hearing it from someone that obviously believed it was interesting. There were many such myths and people almost always explained the one that they personally believed. Perhaps because it resonated with them. Perhaps because it was the one they had been told as children. Either way, it helped Near understand just a little more about Gevanni.

"Have you found your markmate, Gevanni?"

"I have," the man replied, a small smile overtaking his face. "We met on an assignment almost six years ago."

"And she is not upset about you working with the SPK?"

A frown crossed the man's face. "She understands. She has her own assignments and she told me to take the opportunity when it came up. We both knew that being separated would be difficult and that the investigation would be dangerous, but we both knew that it had to be done."

"And what of the legends of a different type of connection?" Near questioned. "One more than just a feeling of belonging?"

"There have been cases of such," Gevanni said instantly, leaning forward with interest and placing his elbows on his knees. "Some report that they can feel the other person close to them or if they are far away. Others say they almost always have a sort of…emotional connection and they know what the other person is feeling without having to be told. There are even some that swear they can physically feel if the other person is hurt. I know, personally, that I never feel particularly _right_ without my soulmate. It's almost as if, well, as if I'm missing a limb."

"I see," Near responded, thinking of the answer. Interesting that Gevanni chose the legend of humans having four arms and legs and then stated that being away from his markmate made him feel as if he was missing a limb. There had to be some sort of correlation there. "Thank you. Do you mind sending Lidner in?"

"Of course," Gevanni stood quickly and pulled the door open. Near had only a couple of minutes to think of the information he had been given before the blond women stepped into the room and shut the door behind her. She was quick to take the chair, unlike Gevanni who had to be invited, and stared at Near with unblinking eyes.

"Please tell me what you know about markmates," Near said professionally, tilting his head and raising his eyebrows as Lidner's lips pursed. "Does the topic upset you?"

She seemed to pause for a moment before she shook her head. "I just don't understand. Soulmates isn't something I would think you to be interested in. Mello-"

"Do not speak of Mello," Near cut in sharply. Lidner's eyes widened briefly and Near forced himself to take a breath. "I am well aware of Mello's feelings on the subject. I assume the two of you have discussed such things?" Lidner hesitantly nodded and Near felt something, something unpleasant, begin to well in his chest. "I see. It is true that I have never believed such a thing to be…necessary to learn. However, it seems that I was…mistaken. Now," he met the woman's eyes and gave her a sharp smile. "Please tell me."

Her eyes narrowed briefly but she began to speak. "God created androgynous souls. Souls were then split into separate genders as they lived on earth. Karmic debt is built up for each soul and when the person dies, the soul is split and forced to relive again. Each half seeks the other and it isn't until the Karmic debt is repaid in full that the souls are once again fused together and are able to find fulfillment and peace in God's hands."

"If that is the case, why do we have marks on our skin to lead us to the other person? Shouldn't we be kept separated until such a debt has been repaid?"

"God is kind," Lidner said bluntly and a bit mockingly. Almost as if she was speaking to a child. Near's eyes narrowed. "Despite the things we have done, he wants each of his children to be happy. He gave each of us a way to find our other halves in hopes that, together, we would be able to clear our debt and find peace. But not every person is able to find their other half in each lifetime and it is important to find someone that makes you happy as well," she said and Near felt a ball of dread build in his stomach as her lips curled up slightly and a faraway look came into her eyes. "God does not want his children to live a life of despair."

Near grimaced. If that was the case, there were a lot of people unable to fulfill that particular goal. Himself included.

"And what of the reports of a deeper connection with your soulmate?"

"They are two halves of the same soul," Lidner replied, her eyes losing that look and once again coming to focus on him. "Of course there is a deep connection. I think that connections such as the ones you are referring to have something to do with the souls past life."

…well, that was new.

"Explain."

"Say a person found their soulmate in one life but the two had trouble communicating. When they are reborn and meet in their new lives, then their connection allows them to know what the other is feeling or thinking. God is giving them a way to connect on a deeper level so they can focus on what is truly important."

If that was the case, he and Mello would be living on this planet for a very long time.

As would Kira and L.

He did not want to think of what 'connection' those two would share in their next life when one of them killed the other.

"Thank you for your time and thoughts on the matter. You may return to what you were doing."

Lidner nodded and gracefully got to her feet. "I will send Rester in when he returns." Near nodded in acknowledgment. Well, that was two different people with two very different views on soulmates. He knew that Mello's thoughts on the subject were similar to Lidner's, though they were not completely in line. However, Mello held his faith close. It was the one thing he had kept with him from his time before Wammy's. It made sense that he would believe God created the marks.

But Near did not believe in God. He did not believe in an almighty power.

When it came to such things, he could honestly say that he did not know what he thought. Science had not fully been able to explain everything but he found the bible and its teachings difficult to fully understand. Mello once told him he lacked faith.

Near would agree that it was an accurate statement.

A knock on the door broke Near from his thoughts. He looked up just in time to see the door being pushed open and Rester make his entrance. In his arms was a pile of books, at least fifteen, all having titles pertaining to Near's current project. "Set them on the desk, please. I would also like you to tell me your personal beliefs on the matter."

"Yes, I heard about your conversations with Lidner and Gevanni," Rester responded wryly. "You do know those two are currently arguing about the origin of soulmates, right?"

"I do not understand. Why would they argue about such a thing?"

Rester sighed as he dropped the books onto the desk. "Because it is an important subject for a lot of people, Near. It's kind of like politics. You don't really talk about it."

"That is not true. Plenty of people speak of-"

"Not what I meant," Rester sighed as he sat in the chair. "Alright. Soulmates. I admit, I never really believed in most of the myths around it. There is one that I think is probably the closest. When the universe was created, the celestial bodies were composed of… building blocks. Over time, these original components were scattered across the universe. We are all composed of these materials and your soulmate is someone who is composed of the same particles that you are. The marks are formed because of the particles being incomplete and they are reacting to the other elements in your body chemistry. That is why the mark matches the person whose body chemistry and ancient particles are similar to your own."

Well, Near could honestly say he had never heard such a theory before. "And the connection soulmates feel?"

Rester rolled his eyes. "Nonsense. We have both seen what the human mind is capable of. It is able to trick a person into believing anything. If someone wants to have such a 'connection', the mind will create one."

Near blinked at the words. That was…possible, he supposed. There had been many cases of people believing themselves to be blind or pregnant when they were not, however, the persons mind had reacted accordingly. He could see the logic in the assumption.

"Thank you for your time. I will be doing some research for the next few hours."

Rester left the room and Near made his way to the desk, grabbing the first book on the pile. He sighed as he opened the first page and began to read.

Four books and two hours later, Near was not even halfway complete with his research but he had already decided what he needed to do.

He had to tell Mello the truth.


	7. Chapter 7

A/N: Here we go! Please review!

Despite Near's resolve to confront Mello about their…situation, he was impressively able to push it from his mind. He reasoned that bringing up the topic at the moment was illogical, with Mogi still being kept in their headquarters. Obviously, Kira had wanted Mello to been seen and Mello had gone to great lengths to make sure that didn't happen. There was a nagging feeling in the back of Near's head that told him the exact reason why.

Kira knew Mello's name.

And Near was not going to be the cause of Mello's death by making the man come to headquarters and giving Kira what he wanted.

"Near, it's no use," Lidner said in frustration a few days after Near's interrogation about soulmates. "Mogi won't say a word."

"If he isn't being controlled by Kira, he's a very impressive man," Near said as he glanced over at the man in question. He was sitting there, staring at the wall as if nothing was happening around him. Impressive. And annoying. "If Mr. Mogi isn't going to say anything, we have no choice but to try and get somebody else. It's impossible that no one finds the new L suspicious, especially after I made such controversial comments and in light of recent incidents. If they haven't, they're worse than preschoolers. I'll make certain that at least one of them comes over to our side." Near glanced over to Gevanni. "Are we able to contact the fake L, yet?"

"It took a few days but we should be able to connect," Gevanni answered as he stared at his computer monitor.

"Good, then please contact him at once," Near said slowly, closing his eyes and feeling them burn behind his eyelids. After the last few days, Near honestly thought he could fall asleep and not wake for a couple of days. "Commander Rester, I want you to cover Mr. Mogi's mouth."

Lidner and Gevanni both turned to him in surprise but Rester merely nodded and moved to do as Near commanded. Near bit back an almost demented smile as Mogi stared at the man coming toward him in surprise.

This was going to be fun.

Even if both Lidner and Gevanni looked as if they completely disapproved.

He was sure Mello would have a good laugh if he had been here.

Whatever amusement Near had felt was wiped clean at the thought and he closed his eyes once more, pushing such thoughts into the corner of his mind. This was not the time for that.

"Near, this is L. Is everybody okay?!"

This time, Near couldn't stop the smile. "No. Mr. Mogi died of a heart attack. I'll hand over the body to the Japanese police within the next few days." He heard a gasp on his headset and his smile grew. Either this L would be forced to take his word for it, or he would argue against it. If he did, Near had him. How else would Yagami know for sure that Kira hadn't killed the man? The only way he would truly know was if he was Kira.

Not that he expected Yagami to fall for such an obvious ploy. But others on his team might.

"To those who are listening to this conversation and have even the slightest suspicion that Kira might be a member of the Japanese taskforce," Near grinned as he began to wrap a piece of hair around his finger. "Please call the number I am about to give you. I will put you through to me." Near read off the number and waited. He waited for Yagami to once again deny such a claim. He waited for Yagami to end the connection. He waited…

…and did not expect it when the fake L spoke. "Anyone who wants to cooperate with Near may do so." Near's eyebrows rose. Hmm. Interesting. "I'm not satisfied with continuing on with the investigation as it is now, either. I feel that the ideal thing is for us and the SPK to cooperate in a way that will satisfy us both."

Near's eyes rolled into the back of his head. Well, he had known that the man was supposed to be charming and intelligent. He truly should have known such a response was coming. The connection was severed and Near was back to waiting. He knew that at least one person would contact him. After the 'death' of their friend and the doubts Near planted in their minds, it would only be natural for someone to begin to question the new L.

He just had to wait.

He didn't have to do so for long.

Only a few minutes after the connection was ended, a call rang through on the phone Gevanni had in his possession. The phone that belonged to the number Near had given the Japanese taskforce.

Near smirked.

"Aizawa from the Japanese taskforce," Gevanni muttered softly as he held the phone by Near's ear. Near, who was busy stacking dice, lifted his shoulder so the cellphone was lodged between his shoulder and ear.

"Near here. Will you come here under the condition that you won't tell the Japanese taskforce our whereabouts?" he asked, getting straight to the point. He never understood small talk. It was pointless and a waste of time. "Of course, that is after we make sure that you are not Kira or one of Kira's spies."

There was just a brief silence before a calm voice spoke, "Very well."

"Also, there is one more thing that I must tell you," Near continued, his lips twisting up once more in amusement. "Mr. Mogi is alive. I lied to give incentive to those people like you."

There was a gasp, "Lied? Then can I talk to Mogi?"

"Yes," Near motioned for Gevanni to take the phone. The man carefully did so and Near motioned to where the Japanese man was still sitting in the chair. Gevanni was quick to move toward him and the man didn't even hiss as the tape was pulled from his mouth. The phone was held against his head.

"It's Mogi…" he listened for a moment and then nodded his head. "Yes, I think that would be a good idea."

Near wanted to pout. "So you can talk. You're very impressive, Mogi!"

"Okay," Near said as the phone was once again in his possession. "I am going to give you directions. Please do not be late." After relaying his instructions, Near ended the call and the phone was once again in the protection of Gevanni. "I think Mr. Mogi deserves a night of rest. Commander Rester, do you oppose him sharing your quarters for the time being?"

"Of course not."

"Please see to it," Near said then, tilting his head as he finished his dice city. "I believe this is a good night for each of us to sleep." Lidner and Gevanni glanced at each other in surprise but smiles soon were sent his way.

"Please keep an eye on him and make sure he does not leave your room," Near said softly to Rester. "We are going to have a visitor and I do not want him to be seen."

Rester's jaw clenched. "I will stay-"

"I will not be hurt," Near sighed. "Please do not interfere."

Rester was not happy. Even someone that had trouble understanding others could see that the man was clearly upset. However, he said it would be done and told Near to sound the alarm if anything went wrong. Near agreed and waited until Rester had taken Mogi from the room, Lidner and Gevanni already gone, and then slowly headed toward his own rooms. There, he found his own phone, the one he only turned on when needed. He could not even remember the last time the phone had been powered on. Perhaps…yes, the night he had called Mello. About the picture.

Interesting that he was using it once again to contact the blond.

"What do you want?"

"I need to speak with Mello," Near said, falling back into old habits as he did so. He winced. What was it about Mello that made his voice grow robotic?

"What the hell do you think we're doing now?"

"In person. Come to headquarters."

"I'm not just going to fucking drop what I'm doing and come whenever you call! I'm not your fucking dog, Near!"

Near cringed. "I need to speak to Mello."

"And why can't you-"

"I have spoken to the fake L," Near said. He was realizing that Mello had not forgotten their earlier argument and the only way he would be seeing the blond that night is if he dangled something in front of him. "I also have another of the taskforce on his way to me. I would like to speak to Mello."

Silence. Near's hand tightened around the phone and his free hand tightened in his hair. Finally, Mello cursed. "Where the hell are you?!"

Near quickly gave his location and the phone went dead. Near sighed and began to shut the phone off once more, but he supposed he should keep it on in case the blond had to contact him. He might not be able to find them. Best to leave it on for the moment, so Mello did not take matters into his own hands and call Lidner.

Something twisted in Near's stomach at the thought.

He walked back into the main room and flipped on the street monitor. He stared, waiting for the moment he saw the familiar figure approach the building. He fiddled with his dice city, improving buildings and shifting the center until it finally happened. The dark hood pulled over his face did nothing to hide the shock of blond hair that fell in front of the older boys face. Near quickly granted Mello access and then reset the security once the other had entered. Mello, who had never been there, moved slowly and cautiously up the stairs and to the door Near had indicated on the phone. Near, once again, bypassed security to allow him into the room.

"Alright, I'm here. What the fuck did you do?!"

"Hello, Mello," Near said as the blond pushed the hood down and his azure eyes stared into Near's own. "We were correct that Kira was able to find headquarters-"

"Yeah, no shit."

"-and I was able to contact L for the first time today," Near continued, ignoring the comment. "I then state that Mr. Mogi had been killed by a heart attack-"

"Wait – _what_?"

"I needed to place doubt in their mind," Near explained, his brows furrowing. Mello usually caught on much faster than this. "I then told them to contact me if they wanted to work with me. I received a call not long after. I am bringing the man in question here and will question him face to face."

Mello did not appear to know what to say. He furiously reached into his pocket and pulled out a chocolate bar, snapping a piece off with his teeth as he continued to glare at Near. "You really are a manipulative son of a bitch."

 _Look who's talking._

"I am certain that with the information the man provides, I will be able to prove that Light Yagami is Kira."

Mello shook his head. "We both know that L suspected Yagami, but if they were soulmates-"

"I think such a thing is possible."

"We are not having this argument again! There is no fucking way someone would kill their own soulmate! Even someone as insane as Kira!"

"B-"

"Do not talk about B!"

Near frowned and studied the man in front of him. Mello had begun to pace furiously, chewing almost frantically. It was clear that they were not going to agree on this issue, at least at the moment, but it was a clear lead for Near. "Does Mello hate me?"

The pacing stopped and Near had the pleasure of watching Mello fumble for his chocolate bar. Briefly, Near wondered if Mello would still eat it if he had actually let it drop to the floor. Probably. "What?!"

Near tilted his head. "It is a simple question. Does Mello hate me?"

"I…that is _not_ a 'simple question'!"

"Hmm," was Near's only response. That was not the answer he had expected. He was expecting the man to say yes, then Near could say that it was possible for soulmates to hate, and possibly kill, one another. He would think on what it meant that the conversation did not happen the way he had planned at a later date. "I will let Mello listen in on the conversation. I will set up a connection once again, the same way we did previously. This will help Mello to believe that Yagami is Kira. However, the SPK will not be aware of the connection so do not speak of it to Lidner."

"Why the hell would I?! And these people work for you, Near. You should at least try to trust them."

"I do not fully trust anyone."

"Because you're a paranoid bastard. Fine, I'll listen in on your little chat. I'm telling you that something is wrong. People do not kill their soulmates. It just doesn't happen."

"Does Mello believe that soulmates can hurt one another?" Mello scowled and Near held up a hand to stop the rant before it got started. "I did not say murder. I said hurt. Physically or emotionally."

"You cant's always stop it," Mello growled, rolling his eyes. "You can hurt them accidentally. But purposely? No."

"What if you are not aware that you are soulmates? Could you do so then?"

"You said L knew! So Yagami had to know too!"

"People do not always inform the other person when they find out. There could be reasons for them to keep the information to themselves."

Mello scoffed. "Yeah, seems like something you would do. But not everyone is as emotionless as you." He snapped off another piece of chocolate. "And still, no. They can't purposely hurt one another even if they don't-"

He had enough. Mello's close-minded view of soulmates was interfering with the case and it would get him killed if he did not understand. This was not how Near had expected this to go but, for once, he didn't care. He reached up and unbuttoned the first two buttons on his pajama top and let it slip off of his shoulder.

"Near, what the hell are you-"

Near turned around sharply and he heard the quick intake of breath behind him. He waited just seconds before shrugging the top back up and turning to face Mello once more. "I ask Mello once again, is it _possible_ for 'soulmates' to harm one another?"

Near's only answer was Mello storming out of the room and slamming the door on his way out.


	8. Chapter 8

Near found himself, once again, lacking sleep.

And, again, it was Mello's fault.

Near sighed and rolled his eyes. No, that wasn't fair. He had been the one to decide to do…what he did that night. He had known that Mello would be upset with him. However, he had thought the other boy, with his explosive temper, would have done something to face the situation.

He had not thought he would run away.

Because that is what Mello had done. He had taken the information and walked away. He had not tried to contact Near. Near had not heard from Matt. He had absolutely no idea what was going on and he greatly disliked the feelings of confusion and apprehension that were swimming throughout his body.

"They're here," Lidner said.

Near glanced up at the monitors to see Gevanni leading a blindfolded man into the building. Finally, something else he could focus on. Although, he had told Mello that he would be allowed in on the interrogation…

He sighed inaudibly and waits until Lidner is looking away before he grabbed the headset beside him. If Mello did not answer, that was on him, but Near was not going to be blamed for the other boy missing the questioning.

"What?!"

Well, Near supposed he should be happy Mello at least answered.

"Mr. Mogi, is that Mr. Aizawa?"

"…right. Of course that's why you fucking called me."

"Please let them in," Near ordered, ignoring the annoyed blond in his ear.

Near kept himself in the same position when Gevanni and Aizawa walked in. He was sitting in a chair, facing the monitors. Until he was sure Aizawa wasn't Kira, he would not let the man see his face. He might be wearing a blindfold, but Near wasn't going to take any chances. "Nice to meet you, Mr. Aizawa. I'm Near."

"It's not much a 'nice to meet you' when I have this blindfold on," the man retorted. Near's lips twitched and Mello snorted in his ear.

"Well, if you can answer a couple of questions truthfully, then I will be able to take that off," Near explained. "I see you were close to the original SPK headquarters. Why is that?"

"I was tailing Mogi, who was taking directions from Mello."

"During that time, you were connected to L – the new L – with a wire. Right?"

"Yes. A wire to communicate and a transmitter to tell L my whereabouts. I also had a camera with me. But I don't have anything on me now, like you told me."

"Please take the blindfold off, then," Near ordered.

"You fucking idiot!" Mello snarled. "Just because he says he doesn't have-"

"The fact that you had a camera may mean that L is Kira, who wanted to see Mello's face," Near said, his voice slightly louder that usual. He was explaining this to Mello as much as he was explaining it to Aizawa. Being called an idiot by _Mello_ of all people didn't sit well with him. "But it also means that you are not Kira's follower with the ability to kill people just by looking at them. It is very unlikely that you made a deal with Kira after that, so I will believe that you have come here for the sole purpose of cooperating with us."

"Even though I've come here to cooperate, that doesn't mean that I completely trust you," Aizawa explained calmly.

"Smart man," Mello muttered.

"And I'm still a member of the Japanese taskforce, so there are limits to how much I can cooperate. The reason I came here is that I felt that your assumption isn't impossible, but something does bug me about your story that L is Kira."

Damn. "Why did it bug you? What about it is bugging you?"

"Well, it all depends on whether I believe in Mello's story. I can't say anything unless it's really true."

Near couldn't help but glance over his shoulder and look at the man at the words. "Mello's story? You're talking about the thirteen-day rule?"

"That's right."

"I agree that Mello's tactics are over the top-"

"Fuck you!"

"-but it's all from the desire to capture Kira."

Mello was muttering in his ear again. It was very distracting.

"To be clear," Lidner commented, "Mello is trying to get to Kira before Near does."

Near's jaw tightened at the woman's words and Mello grew quiet. Yes, that's what Mello was trying to do. However, it was not Lidner's place to tell someone that information. Not for the first time, Near wondered just how much Mello had told his female subordinate.

"For Mello and me, L was our idol," Near said, his voice soft. Images flashed through his mind. Time he had spent with L. Before the Kira case. "He was the only person worthy of respect. Everybody at Wammy House longed to be like L and it is obvious that our idol, the person we respected, was killed by Kira. Therefore, we'll use any means necessary to capture Kira. Don't you think it's only natural for us to think that way?"

Aizawa stared at him, his mouth slightly open. Even Gevanni, Lidner, and Rester were looking at him with wide eyes. Near ignored them. They had to know. They had to have known that this was the truth. Why else would he go through all of this?

"Near, I don't know if that was pure bullshit to help you play with this guys mind or if you actually feel that way," Mello said, his voice gruff, "but…thanks."

Near swallowed. Thanks. When had he ever heard Mello mutter that word? And did he actually think that Near would lie about this? Even to help him find Kira? He wouldn't. Not about L.

But he couldn't tell him that. Not at the moment, anyway.

"Anybody would think of the notebook as a way to capture Kira, once they find out that it is Kira's killing tool," Near finally said, tired of the silence and wanting everyone to stop staring at him like he had suddenly sprouted wings. "Therefore, Mello risked joining the Mafia to use them and, although it was over the top, he got the notebook."

"Near, are you _defending_ me?!"

"Once you get the notebook," Near continued, "you will definitely try it out. The Mafia was the perfect chance to try the notebook out. I'm sure that he didn't even have to bother writing the names down himself. I think it was the wrong way," he needed to be clear about that. Even if he was defending Mello, the other boy needed to know that Near thought he had gone about everything in the wrong way. "but it was all to capture Kira, our hated enemy. We will never know if that rule is fake or not-"

"It is."

"-not unless we actually test it out."

"Don't you fucking _dare_!"

"But the Japanese taskforce won't allow it."

"Well, at least they aren't complete morons."

"But if the thirteen-day rule is fake," Near was getting tired of the interruptions. "Then a problem arises. Isn't that right, Mr. Aizawa? And what is that problem?"

"L placed someone in confinement after suspecting them of being Kira," Aizawa finally said lowly, so lowly that Near was afraid Mello might not even be able to pick up the conversation. This would all be for waste if Near couldn't prove to Mello that the current L, Light Yagami, was Kira. "And after 50 days of confinement, that person was released and their innocence was verified when we found out about the thirteen-day rule when Higuchi was captured."

 _I got him._

"And that person is the present L," Near commented, needing the man to agree.

But Aizawa didn't respond.

"Right?" Near prompted.

"…right."

Near felt a flash of triumph. That should be enough for Mello to stop his thoughts that Yagami was innocent based on soulmarks. But the other boy was oddly silent in Near's ear. Near ground his teeth.

"To be exact," Aizawa started, swallowing hard, "there was another person confined too. The one who was called the second Kira."

"Ah, the one that gathered a lot of attention with Sakura TV," Near sighed, tilting his head and staring vacantly at the wall as he began to place all the pieces together. "if the thirteen-day rule is fake, then that's it. Those two are the guilty ones. The fact that L confined those two is proof enough."

"I think it's a little premature to say that they're guilty because L confined them," Aizawa retorted.

"I changed my mind. They are morons," sound of snapping chocolate, "Fine. The new L is Kira. You still haven't proven that Yagami is L."

"Very well," Near said, his lips twisting up in annoyance. Mello was just making this difficult. They were both fully aware of who the new L was. But if he wanted to play this game, Near would comply. For now. "But why did you release them after confining them for more than 50 days? According to your story, the thirteen-day rule came out after they were released."

"Kira's killings didn't stop even though they had been confined for more than 50 days without even being able to move their hands freely," Aizawa answered. "It's only natural to assume that they were not Kira and therefore should be freed."

 _Natural to assume?_

"Idiots," Mello snarled.

Near couldn't help but agree.

"And it wasn't L who brought up the idea of freeing them, right?"

Aizawa blinked at the words and his lips tightened. "Yes, we forced L to-"

"And did L simply consent to it?"

"No. L got Deputy Director Yagami, who was the Chief back then, to put on an act. Chief Yagami released them and L told them that 'we have come to the conclusion that you two are Kira and the second Kira' and that they were both going to be executed. On the way, Chief pulled his gun out and pointed tit at them, saying 'I'm going to kill Kira and then kill myself'."

 _Checkmate._

"Damnit!" Mello snarled.

"If they were truly Kira and the Second Kira, we assumed that they'd kill the Chief, if they were pressed that far. That's how we decided they were innocent."

"Back then, you didn't know of the existence of the notebook, so if those two didn't have the notebook with them, the act was meaningless."

"…yes. Now that I think of it, you're right."

 _Yes, that tends to happen._

"Kira really is something," Near mused, once again ignoring the cursing in his ear. "Kira used the confinement as a way to prove himself innocent."

"What's the reasoning behind that?" Aizawa demanded.

"Obviously, everybody saw the rules written in the notebook after capturing Higuchi. If people saw the thirteen-day rule before that, then it would have looked fake. Therefore, Kira predicted the confinement and wrote the fake thirteen-day rule within the real rules. Then Kira gave the notebook to somebody else and waited for L to capture that person and read the notebook…" Why was everyone looking at him like that again? It was a perfectly logical assessment.

"B-but the rules were written with a substance that doesn't exist on Earth!" Aizawa stuttered.

"Then Kira got the Shinigami to write it, or borrowed something to write it himself," Near sighed. It really wasn't that difficult to put together and this conversation was quickly growing dull. "By some chance, did the Kira suspect voluntarily come out and encourage you to carry out the confinement? If the suspect encouraged you to do so, then it closes the case. That suspect believed in L and waited for L to capture Higuchi and read the fake thirteen-day rule in the notebook. As it happens, the suspect was freed before the notebook surfaced but even if you hadn't freed the suspect, the outcome would have been the same."

"B-but Near, what you just said is all just assumption and there's no proof!"

 _Didn't you just say moments ago that it was natural to assume? Tsk, tsk, Mr. Aizawa._

"That's right, but once I start centering my investigations on the suspects who were confined then I'll…" Near trailed off and turned to Aizawa once more. "So, who are these two people?"

Silence.

"Do you really think they're just going to tell you?! And fine, I get it. We both know the only reason Chief Yagami would make a comment about killing himself is if he was one of the suspects. I get it. You win."

Yes, he won.

But it didn't make him as happy as he thought it would.

"I'm sorry," Aizawa sighed, glancing away from Near's eyes. "But I can't tell you that. As I said before, I've only come here as a member of the Japanese taskforce and I work under L."

Eyes narrowing, Near's lips twisted into a pout. He _hated_ that Kira was being referred to by his old mentor's name. "Then can you tell me everything except names?"

"…okay…" And that's what they did. Aizawa was the main speaker, telling everything from the day they realized that the killings were linked up until the current situation. Mogi put his own information in on occasion, mostly to clarify things when Aizawa was unsure. The information was invaluable. And Near knew that there was no way Mello, or anyone else from Wammy House, would disagree with his conclusion of who Kira was.

Mostly, he knew it because of the constant stream of cursing and things breaking in his ear.

"Thank you very much for all the valuable information. You two may go back now."

"Now that you've heard out story, it's 'goodbye' for us?!" Aizawa snapped angrily.

Near sighed. "Look, I thanked you for all the valuable information you gave me. Especially the part about the Shinigami and the Shinigami eye that the holder of the notebook can get by paying half of their remaining lifespan. It was the first time I heard about it and was very useful. I don't know how it is now, but at the beginning, Kira didn't make a deal for the eyes and the second Kira did."

"Is that all?"

"It's going to be hard to investigate the new L, so we're going to have to investigate the second Kira suspect. If I can get the notebook during the process, that will be hard evidence that they are Kira."

"…right."

"Now that I've called on you and the others with the New L listening, I find it hard to believe that we will be able to find the notebook, even if the new L is Kira and the Second Kira is executing the killings. I also find it hard to believe that we will be able to get somebody who didn't speak during more than 50 days of confinement to make a confession. Anyway, I don't think that Kira would let the Second Kira keep killing criminals after being under so much suspicion. Now that the world has changed, Kira can easily find somebody else to do the killings."

"Then there's nothing you can do about it?"

"Not for the time being. I apologize for talking so big. IF there is anything, I will call upon you once more, so please contact me secretly at the new phone number I just gave you. Gevanni, please drive them to the station or the airport. I feel bad for the Japanese taskforce that I've kept them here for so long."

"I'm sorry, you must wear the blindfold," Gevanni said as he moved toward Aizawa and Mogi. Near remained silent as the man led their visitors out of the room and, eventually, out of the building.

"Are you sure about this, Near? You didn't get the most important part."

"You going to tell them, Near?" Mello mocked in his ear.

Near turned toward Rester. "It's fine. I don't want to get too involved with them just yet. And there is one important thing I now know."

"What?" Rester questioned.

"That cheesy stunt that proved the suspect innocent… do you remember? I discovered it from that."

"But you said that since they didn't have the notebook with them-"

"No, the important part was 'I'll kill Kira and then myself'," Near explained. "Deputy Director Yagami and the Kira suspect are related. That's the only plausible explanation. To go as far as saying something like that…therefore, the new L, the person I suspect of being Kira, is Light Yagami."

Loud snort. "Way to be dramatic, Near."

 _I grew up with you. Some of it was bound to rub off._

"Lidner, Mello's still in New York, right?"

"Near, what the fuck are you doing?"

"Yes."

"Then I want you to tell him, without telling me, where and when Gevanni is going to drop off Mr. Mogi and Aizawa. Actually, you can tell him everything except that Light Yagami is L. I'm sure that Mello will get to Yagami soon, too."

"Such a bastard. I'm guessing you want me to tail Mogi and AIzawa? Did you forget I _don't work for you_?!"

"We'll have a better chance of finding the whereabouts of the current L and who the Second Kira is if we're not the only ones looking," Near continued to speak to Lidner but he was actually answering Mello.

"You could just tell them I'm listening in. Such a paranoid bastard," Mello snarled before the headset cut out.

LIdner stood, pulling out her phone. Near rolled his eyes and pulled himself to his feet as well. Now that that was over, he might as well try to catch up on his sleep. He was sure he wouldn't be hearing from Mello again soon, he would give the blond another couple of days to contact him. Before he left the room completely, he paused and looked over his shoulder. "Commander Rester, I'm sorry to trouble you, but could you please go to Japan?"

"I'll investigate Light Yagami as much as I can when I'm in Japan."

"Thank you," Near replied, thankful that he didn't actually have to explain his reasonings. "Have a pleasant trip."

Near had only been in bed for about two hours when his personal cellphone rang. Blinking his eyes tiredly, Near glanced down at the unknown number and frowned. "Hello?"

"You're insane!" Matt's cackling laughter startled Near enough that the phone fell onto the bed. "Telling Mello the way you did – you're lucky he didn't beat the hell out of you!"

 _That would have been counterproductive to his argument._ "What is it you need, Matt?"

Matt continued to laugh, gasping for air, and Near contemplated just hanging up. Surely the other boy could call him back when he finished. Just as he was about to do so, Matt began to speak. "He-he told me to let you know that we're following them," he said, still gasping. "Apparently, we're going to L.A.. Mells didn't even give me enough time to fully pack!" Matt wailed.

"When do you leave?" _And why are you the person calling me?_

"About an hour. Mello said to tell you that we'll keep you informed. By 'we' he means me. Because he's throwing a temper tantrum like a twelve year old girl and doesn't want to speak to you at the moment."

"Matt! You're dead!"

Near's lips twitched at the familiar voice. "Uh, oh. Got to go. Mello sends his love."

" _Matt_ -!"

The line went dead. Near slowly placed his phone back on the table. _Mello sends his love._ Why did those words make his pulse quicken?

Near rolled over onto his side and closed his eyes, attempting to go back to sleep once more. It wasn't until a few minutes later that he noticed a broad smile was spread across his face.


	9. Chapter 9

It had been almost a week since Rester left for Japan and almost as long since he heard from Matt or Mello. Matt had contacted him once, briefly, but the phone had gone dead just as quickly after he given Near the information he had called about. Near would have been worried about the redheaded boy but he knew that Mello wouldn't actually do anything to harm him.

He was one of the few that had a free pass with the blond.

Near wondered if he had made it to that list as well.

It had been an eventful week. The Kira spokesperson had been killed and a new spokesperson was going to be named. Demegawa must have done something Kira didn't approve of to end up under that man's wrath… Near just had not been able to figure out what exactly that thing was.

And it was infuriating.

There was one thing that Near had, logically, known but hadn't really thought through.

With him sending Rester to Japan, Near's communication was limited to Gevanni and Lidner.

Who were _still_ arguing over their different views of soulmates.

"Soulmates were around before your God-"

"God has always 'been around'," Lidner snapped back, not taking her eyes from her monitor as she continued to type, "just because those that lived thousands of years ago didn't know he was-"

"There have been many forms of Gods," Gevanni retorted. "What makes the god you believe in any different than the gods of the past?"

"You-"

"Enough," Near sighed. "This topic is now closed. There will be no more discussion of marks or where they originated during this investigation. Now, Gevanni, please contact Rester for an update."

"Yes, sir," Gevanni responded instantly. Lidner's lips pinched but she didn't disagree. Probably an intelligent move considering she had not exactly been on Near's good list for the last few weeks.

Though he wasn't sure if she even knew that.

Rester's face appeared across the monitors a moment later. "Near," the man greeted.

Near glanced up at him through his too long bangs. "Commander Rester. Have you found anything interesting?"

"Light Yagami is registered as a graduate student at To-Oh University but no one has seen him campus since graduation," the man promptly replied. "And the Japanese police have given all their employees false job titles to hide the fact that they are members of the police force. Light Yagami received letters of appreciation from the police in 2000 and 2002 for advice that led to resolved cases. I think it's safe to say that these facts and the influence of his father all point to him currently being on the police force. Also, when I asked former students what they remembered about Yagami, several of them had interesting comments. Light Yagami had the highest score on the entrance exam, but someone going by the name Ryuga Hideki, the same name as a Japanese pop idol back then, tied scores with Yagami. They made the freshman address together. He was often seen with Light Yagami but no photos of this Ryuga Hideki can be found." Near blinked at the information. Could it be? Is that how L had introduced himself to Kira?

Had he really gone that far?

"I also received information that around June of 2004, Hideki Ryuga, Light Yagami, and Misa Amane were seen together on the university campus. After that, everybody seems to have lost track of Hideki Ryuga. Light Yagami and Misa Amane also went missing for several months at that time."

Near swallowed around the sudden lump in his throat and picked up his L finger puppet. He waited until he knew he would be able to speak clearly, then said, "He used the name of a popular pop idol to get close to Light Yagami, whom he suspected of being Kira. It was a dangerous plan that assumed he wouldn't be killed as long as Kira didn't find out his real name." Why had he done it? He shouldn't have risked it. There could have been another way. L could have contacted him or Mello – they were his successors. He could have asked for their help. He knew that they would come.

Maybe that was why he didn't.

"But the Second Kira appeared. With the ability to learn people's names just by looking at their faces," Near muttered lowly, glaring at the female finger puppet. "And Kira and the Second Kira joined hands…everything fits…" He took a deep breath and nodded his head. "Light Yagami, Kira. Misa Amane, the Second Kira. And Hideki Ryuga was L. It correlates with the report we received that Mr. Mogi and Mr. Aizawa went straight to Misa Amane's place after leaving here."

"So the fact that Misa Amane is Light Yagami's fiancé is…" Lidner hesitated for a moment before plowing on. "Is this why you asked about soulmates? Because Kira and the Second Kira are-"

"No," Near said sharply, looking up to meet the woman's eyes. "They are not. And I believe I had just said that there will be no more discussions of marks during this investigation."

"But if it _pertains_ to the investigation-"

"It doesn't."

"You said it did."

"And the information is no longer required," Near snapped back. "Please continue on with your current assignments. Commander Rester, contact us if there is an information."

"Understood."

The monitors went black and Near went back to his thoughts. Light Yagami and Misa Amane. They had conspired together to kill L. And L, knowing that anyone that helped him would be in danger, had done what he needed to do to try and capture Kira.

He had failed.

And Near was going to make sure that he, Mello, and Matt survived.

Because that was the only way to pay L back for all he had done for the three of them. And the rest of the world.

Even if they did not appreciate it.

The information Near had mentioned had been the information Matt had called him about. He had told Near, briefly, that Mello had told him to keep an eye on Amane. Knowing that she was, for sure, the Second Kira…made Near nervous. Because if she saw Matt, she would know his true name. She might not register, at least at the moment, why that was important, but there was a possibility the truth would come out in the future. Which would make things difficult.

And if she was able to lay eyes on Mello…

Near shuddered and pulled himself out of the thought. Mello was intelligent enough to make sure Amane didn't see him.

And if Amane was still in possession of the Death Note.

Near wasn't sure which option he would prefer.

Perhaps he should call Mello.

Or Matt.

Matt was probably the safer option. Mello did not seem to want to speak to him yet and Near did not think it was in his best interest to try to force him to do so.

Mind made up, Near pushed himself to his feet and made his way to his room, ignoring the questioning looks that were thrown his way as he did so. He pulled his personal phone from his pocket and hesitated for only a moment before clicking on the contact.

It rang.

And rang.

And rang…

Near's brows drew together. He would wait a few moments. Perhaps Matt was in the middle of something and unable to answer. Knowing the slightly older boy, he was probably focused on a video game and would return the call once he finished the level.

But he didn't.

Near stared at the phone, his lips pursed. He could try to call once more but he was sure Matt would call him if he was able to do so. But the fact that he wasn't getting a call back worried Near. What if they had been identified?

He needed to be sure.

He hit the contact once more, listening to it ring.

And ring.

And ri-

"What?"

Near blinked and pulled the phone away from his ear. There was a possibility that he had hit the wrong contact. He had been thinking of the blond. Maybe an unconscious slip?

No. It was Matt's contact information.

"I was calling Matt."

"He's busy," Mello snapped as a rustling sound came through the phone. "What did you call for, Near?"

Near began to twist a piece of hair between his fingers. "L pretended to be a student at To-Oh University. I now am 99% sure that Misa Amane is the Second Kira."

"There isn't any indication-"

"She might not be at the moment," Near said quickly, pure relief flooding his system that neither Mello or Matt found any evidence that the girl was currently acting as Kira, "but she was during L's investigation. I was just contacting Matt to make sure he was aware of the danger the two of you are currently placing yourselves in."

There was silence for a moment before a loud sigh caused Near to pull the phone, just slightly, from his ear. "Noted," Mello finally muttered. "That it?"

"Yes. I will contact Matt if-"

"When did you find out?"

Near blinked at the sudden question. "I had Rester do some research on Yagami and that led to-"

"Not that. When the hell did you find out we were soulmates?"

He barely stopped himself from flinching. "This is not the time-"

"Fuck no. You made this the time, Near. I want answers. Don't you think I deserve that?"

Near wanted to say no. That Mello didn't deserve it because it didn't matter. But, he was correct. Near had been the one to use it against the other boy. Near was the one that brought it to his attention. He supposed, technically, that he did need to give him some sort of answers. "I was seven."

" _Seve_ \- you have got to be fucking kidding me!" Mello yelled and there was the sound of a loud crash. Near winced. "How?!"

"I was in the kitchen. Mello came in to steal chocolate in pajama's."

"And you waited until now to tell me because?"

"It did not seem to be important. Matt is the one that –"

"Matt."

"Yes. He convinced me that telling Mello would be in both of our best interests."

"Matt knew."

Oh. That might not have been the best thing to reveal. "I was unaware that he had such knowledge until recently," Near informed Mello, hoping that the information would make him feel a bit better that he had not been the only one that did not know.

"So you told me because Matt told you to. And because you knew you could use that information against me."

"I did not-"

"I know you too damn well for that, Near," Mello said, his voice strangely flat. Near's throat was dry. He had never heard this tone from the blond before. He expected anger. This was…somehow more terrifying. "You might have decided to tell me but you revealed it when you did to benefit you. Like you do with everything else."

"I do not know what-"

"We're soulmates. I get it. Nothing is going to change because-"

"Things have already changed," the words slipped out before Near was able to fully think them through, before he could stop them. "A year ago, we would not be speaking. We would not be sharing information. Things have already changed. Mello has been working alongside-"

"No, Near," Mello snapped back. "Just – no."

Near wasn't even surprised when the phone went silent in his hand.


	10. Chapter 10

Near assumed it would take a considerable amount of time before Mello came to terms with the information he was given. He, logically, knew that he should not expect to hear from Mello until he did so. However, he had hoped that he would still be contacted by Matt to alert him to any changes or important information.

Which is why he had to quickly paste an expressionless mask on his face when Lidner announced that Mello had contacted her the night before to tell her that they had some evidence on Misa Amane and they would be monitoring her closely, as well as keeping eyes on Mogi and Aizawa. His mind frantically worked through the reasons that Mello would do such a thing. Mello already knew that Near believed Misa Amane to be the Second Kira. He knew that Near was already aware of the situation. Did he truly have evidence against Amane? Or was this some sort of game? What would be the point if it was?

Was Mello just trying to annoy Near? He had to know that Lidner would relay the information.

Was this the way Mello felt? Knowing that Near and Matt had kept something from him? That they had spoken about it with each other and left Mello out?

Oh.

Near's brain connected the pieces. He understood why Mello had contacted Lidner…again. But for the first-time life, he did not feel comforted by the information. He understood the why, but he didn't like it. And he did not want Mello to do it again.

However, the only person Near had to blame was himself. For beginning this little powerplay. For creating the connection between Mello and Lidner in the first place. He had assumed that it would be easier for Lidner to deal with Mello. Or maybe it was because he knew that Mello would speak with Lidner. Either way, their contact was his error. He could not admit as such now.

Lidner turned toward her computer when it became clear that Near was not going to say anything to the information she had given. He was unsure of what he could even say. He was not going to tell the woman that her entire conversation with Mello was a way for the blond to mess with Near's emotions. That would lead into a discussion Near was not yet prepared to have. With anyone.

However, he needed to find a way to sever the ties between the two. Near would admit that he disliked losing and he disliked the feeling he got when he realized that Mello had chosen to speak to Lidner instead of him.

"We have Commander Rester on the line," Gevanni said, breaking Near from his thoughts either minutes or hours later.

"Put him through."

The monitor flickered on and Near glanced up at Commander Rester's face. "Near, the NHN announcer is Kiyomi Takada," the man said almost instantly. "She was a classmate of Light Yagami's in college. She was an excellent student and was also on close terms with him, it seems."

Near's eyes narrowed and his lips pursed. So, the new Kira spokesperson had a close connection to Light Yagami. The man was growing very brazen, to do such a thing when he knew that Near suspected him. That was good. The more confident he grew, the more mistakes he would make. "What do you mean by close?" Near finally asked.

"I can't assume anything, but to the people around them, they seemed more than just friends. I can't believe this is a coincidence."

Near stared down at the rubber duck he had in his hand, though he truly wasn't seeing the item. Confidence was the only reason he could see that Yagami would name someone so close to him as Kira's spokesperson. Yagami had to know that Near would discover the connection. He also had to know that the taskforce would seem it odd if he suddenly got in contact with the woman again. And Aizawa had not contacted Near to tell him that that was the case.

"Commander Rester, can you get close to Takada?"

The man seemed hesitant. "I'll give it a try…but like Demegawa, she is…no. It could be because she's a woman. But she is far more heavily protected by the Kira worshippers than Demegawa ever was. To the worshippers, if Kira is their God, then Takada is their goddess…" Rester frowned. "It may be possible for me to get close to her among all the worshippers but Mr. Aizawa and Mogi have seen my face before. They may tell L about our movements."

"You don't have to worry about that," Near sighed, cutting the man off. "You said that she was an excellent student, but that was only her grades. She, herself, is downright stupid." He dropped the rubber duck into the kiddy pool he had Gevanni set up earlier that morning. "There is no reason for the taskforce to get in the way of our investigation. I'm sure they won't tell L that you are a member of the SPK. And if that information is passed to L and you di, then that means that L is Kira. I find it hard to believe that Kira would od such a thing before finding out about Mello and me, unless Kira is in a very tight situation." Near ignored the shocked and disappointed looks he got from Lidner and Gevanni. Well, shocked from Gevanni. Disappointed from Lidner. Near wanted to scowl at the woman. She had no right to judge him. He was beginning to grow very irritated with…

Ah. That could work.

"Gevanni, Lidner, would you like to go to Japan too?" Near asked and both people turned to him in shock. "It's almost certain that the one writing the names in the notebook is in Japan. I think it is a safe call based on the people being killed and from the fact that an announcer from NHN was chosen as the Spokesperson."

The two exchanged a glance. "Very well…"

Arrangements were made for the two to fly to Japan and Near breathed a sigh of relief when he was alone. There were guards, of course, but he was essentially on his own for the first time in his life. Near pulled himself to his feet and set the monitor's so that he would be alerted of any incoming messages, calls, or important information. Then he flopped back down on the floor and began to pull the rubber ducks toward him. He needed a way to get one of his people close to Takada. If he was correct and Misa Amane was no longer the Second Kira, Kira would need someone else on his side. Takada would be in a good position to take over at least some of these duties.

He needed eyes on Takada.

Rester was correct that there was a possibility that he would be recognized. Near had made a logical argument as to why Kira would not kill him but, in truth, that might not matter. Not if Kira was now shameless enough to place an old girlfriend in such a position. There was a chance – though a slight one – that Kira would no longer care to hide himself from Near. Not if he knew he was in a position to win the game.

But did he feel that he was in that position?

Did he truly believe that he had all his cards aligned to win the game?

If he did, Near needed to figure out why he felt as such.

There were pieces of the puzzle missing.

Near's eyes flickered to the loud beeping from the monitors. "Commander Rester?" Near questioned after he turned on the connection.

"Takada had a meeting with someone last night and will be giving a broadcast in the next ten minutes," the man said. Near nodded his head. If the new Kira spokesperson was going to speak out, Near wanted to watch it so he could see how she acted with his own eyes. He stood fiddled with the monitors so he could get the broadcast in question and then sat in what had been Lidner's chair, pulling his knee up to his chest. A pretty young woman came on the screen. "Starting today, I will be introducing you to messages and requests from viewers, as well as expressing my own opinions on some matters."

Near's eyebrows rose. Was this the new plan?

"This is so that by exchanging ideas between Kira and myself, we will be able to make an even more detailed report. Many of the countries and companies claim to support Kira now but that is a mere empty promise. We do not know how they are supporting Kira or should be supporting Kira."

Near's hand found his hair. She was showing her face to Kira and 'talking back' to him. According to Rester, she was not a stupid woman. She did not think that Kira would retaliate. Why would she think that unless she had information or a guarantee that he wouldn't?

"I feel that in order to create a peaceful world as fast as we can, Kira should give orders to the army and police of each country on how they should act. I would like to give a reply to this and…" Near tuned out at the words. Kira give orders to how the police should act? Was this Takada's idea? Her words? Or were they…"

"Rester, find out who Takada saw last night, whatever it takes."

There was a delay in response and Near's eyes narrowed. Rester usually agreed much faster than this. "Well…Kiyomi Takada is being protected unbelievably well and even getting near her is tough. I never expected it to be this hard…" he trailed off and swallowed hard. "A reporter who tried to investigate the meeting last night was caught by the guards and was accused of breaking and entering and was killed by Kira by the 9:00 news…" Near's hand tightened around his rubber duck. Killed? How dull. "Her cell phone is untraceable too, and completely bug proof. She's better guarded than the President of the United States. All her guards are people who've participated in TV programs pertaining to Kira many times, whose backgrounds can be easily traced. It is extremely hard to get in."

Near scowled and twisted his hair. "Gevanni and Lidner should be getting to Japan shortly. Please get near her any way you can."

"I'll do my best," Rester sighed. "She is leaving the studio now."

"Keep me on the line. Follow her and find where she is going."

"I will."

Near moved away from the chair and moved toward the floor once more. He looked down at the kiddy pool and the rubber ducks. He wanted more. He wanted enough to cover the entire body of water so it was not visible. He padded over toward the various boxes piled against the wall and pursed his lips. In one of these boxes were more ducks. He just had to find them. He reached up to grab the top box and pull it down onto the floor before peering inside. Not ducks. The then grabbed the next box. No ducks. He continued the pattern until he finally found a box filled with various bath toys. He began to grab the ducks and toss them toward the pool but…it was taking too long. He scrunched up his nose and pushed the box over, dumping all of the toys out onto the floor. He then dropped down to the ground and picked the ducks up one by one, placing them in the pool.

"Near, Takada went into the Perin Hotel. Until she comes out, nobody is allowed to enter or leave the hotel unless requested by Takada," Rester finally reported. Near sighed. If that was the case, he would not even be able to tell what room she was in.

How irritating.

"Then you're going to have to try and become one of Takada's trusted guards at the very least," Near told him. If that was the only way he was going to get eyes on Takada, it was what they were going to have to do.

"I'll do my best."

A few days later had Near bored and hungry. While it had seemed like a good idea to move the rest of the team to Japan, he had forgotten the fact that he would need to completely fend for himself while they were away. He had limited experience cooking and he honestly did not have the patience to stand there while the food was cooking. He disliked having to get up to answer each call as his team checked in. He disliked that he kept glancing down at his personal phone…and the fact that only two people called him on it.

And he had not heard from either one.

A ringing broke him from his thoughts and Near couldn't help but glance down at his phone. No. He sighed and turned on the monitor. "Commander Rester."

"Near, we're trying to get on Takada's personal bodyguard team but the hurdles are getting higher. We need a little more time."

"Very well, I had a feeling it would be like that." He sighed. It was time for him to go to Japan. "Commander Rester, can you return to New York immediately?"

"I-immediately?"

"I'm coming to Japan."

"…do you mean I'll be in New York while you're gone?"

"No," Near fidgeted and felt an embarrassed flush cross his face.

"Then why do I need to return to New York?"

Near drew his knees up to his chest. "I've never made travel arrangements myself. I want you to come back and then we'll go to Japan together."

"…very well…"

The call ended and Near bit his lip as his eyes landed on his phone once more. He was leaving the country…that was a good enough reason to contact him, right? Just to keep him involved, so he didn't think that Near was keeping things from him again.

The phone rang in his ear and Near felt a rush of disappointment as the ringing continued. Perhaps he should not have called. This was not the first time that he had decided to not contact Mello and then broke before the blonde.

"What?"

"Mello," Near greeted, trying to keep his voice calm as a rush of relief went through his body. "I will be going to Japan within the next few days. I thought it best to keep you-"

"Informed?" Mello scoffed. "Little late for that, don't you think?" There was a loud sigh and Near twirled his hair around his fingers. He was not sure what to say. Was there anything he could say? Anything that could make any of this better? "Whatever," Mello growled after a moment of silence. "Fine. Let me know when you're here."

…wait.

"Mello is in Japan?"

"I told you I was following Mogi and Aizawa," Mello retorted.

"Mello did not say he was going to-"

"I don't have to tell you everything," Mello snapped. "How does it feel to not have all the information, Near?"

"Mello should have said he was going to Japan."

"Yeah, well, you should have told me we were soulmates. Let me know when you get to Japan."


	11. Chapter 11

Near knew that Rester was annoyed with him. He could understand the reasoning – the man had just flown in from Japan and he was already leading Near back to the airport. Near supposed that he should have given the man time to sleep but he wanted to get to Japan as soon as possible.

He supposed he could have tried to fly on his own.

But, truthfully, he didn't want to.

Rester had grumbled under his breath from the time they left headquarters to the time they had taken their seats on the plane. Near should probably say something to him but he wanted to observe the man and see how long it took for him to give up and calm himself down. Near would admit, he was pretty impressed by how long he had managed to keep it up. He did not think anyone beyond Mello had that type of tenacity. Near continued to play with his finger puppets, pretending that he was ignoring the man when he was actually listening, amused, to the ramblings.

He should probably tell Rester to get some sleep. It appeared that he needed it.

After a long and very amusing plane ride, Near stepped foot in Japan for the first time. "We are in the process of setting up a base," Rester said. He was in a much better mood than he had been a few hours ago, most likely because Near had finally told the man to get that much needed sleep, and he was walking right in front of Near as they moved toward the waiting car. "Gevanni is-"

"Near."

Near's head snapped to the side as Rester's hand instantly went to where his gun was hidden under his coat. Mello was standing on the side of the building, mostly in the shadows, wearing a pair of sunglasses and a dark hood. "Why is Mello here?" Near questioned, his voice low in case of listening ears. Mello stood fully and tossed the helmet toward the smaller boy. Near reacted on years of instinct. This wasn't the first time that Mello had thrown something at him. He grasped the helmet toward his chest and frowned at the older boy.

"Come on."

Near tilted his head, confused. "Excuse me?"

"Come on," he said yet again, walking away from the shadows and stepping up beside Near. He reached out, lightly grasping Near's wrist and pulling him slightly toward a waiting motorcycle.

"Unhand him," Rester growled, beginning to draw his gun.

Near held up his hand, freezing the man instantly. "Where is Mello taking me?" Near questioned as he took a step toward the blonde.

"I know where your 'secret base' is located," Mello said with a wry smirk. "Tell your bodyguard to stand down and meet us there. You and I need to talk."

Rester began to grumble yet again and Mello sneered at the older man. Near merely sighed and shuffled forward, walking past Mello. Mello, who was still holding onto Near's wrist, turned to follow him. "Mello will take me to headquarters. Commander Rester will meet us there."

"Near-"

Near didn't respond, he merely lifted the helmet and placed it on his head. He scrunched up his nose at the uncomfortable feeling and stepped up beside the motorcycle. He frowned as he stared at it. It was very tall. Near was unsure if he would be able to slide…did you slide?...onto it. He heard a chuckle from beside him and then he felt Mello let go of his wrist. He felt a brief moment of loss before he was spun around. Azure eyes stared down at him and then Mello lifted his hands and fastened the strap on the helmet. Near swallowed hard as rough fingers brushed against his chin. Then Mello turned and sat on the motorcycle. He grasped Near's hand and led him to the seat behind him. Near sat, extremely uncomfortable, and placed his hands on his knees. "Do you want to die?" Mello grumbled, reached behind him to grab Near's hands. He pulled the younger boy forward and placed his hands around Mello's waist. "Hold me – tight. I don't need your minions coming after me if you die on the way there."

Near rolled his eyes and gripped Mello tightly. He tried to ignore the way the blond was pressed against his chest.

And then they were moving.

Near closed his eyes tightly as Mello moved throughout traffic. What was he thinking? He knew the statistics of riding these contraptions. He remembered the lecture Mello had gotten when they were young and Mello had stated he wanted a motorcycle. Near had told himself he would never get on one after that. And yet…

How had he forgotten that just because Mello had shown up and wanted him to?

Thinking of that made Near wonder just how Mello knew he was going to arrive in Japan at that time. Had he just figured out the times and then… or had he had confirmation?

Near's arms tightened and his hands slid into Mello's open coat. He felt the other boy shiver slightly as Near's hands rested on his bare skin. Near shuddered as he pressed more firmly against the warm skin under his hands. How could Mello continue to wear that vest when it was this cold and he was driving this thing? Near wished he had a coat.

Finally, Mello pulled to a stop in a dark alley. The two stayed where they were on the bike neither attempting to move. Near sighed and leaned forward, resting the helmet against Mello's shoulder. "Why did Mello come?"

"Why the hell did Rester return to New York just to get you?" Mello growled out. He let go of the handles and placed his hands on Nears. Near wanted to tighten his grip, to refuse to move, but Mello didn't attempt to make him let go. Instead, he just pressed down on Near's hands and left them there. "Did you seriously make him come get you? You should have told me if you were that afraid."

Near furrowed his brows. "I was not afraid. And why would I tell Mello? Would Mello have come to get me?"

Mello snorted. "Like hell," he muttered before letting out a sigh. "I'd have told you to grow the fuck up and get on the plane," he said loudly before his hands dropped and he slid off the bike. Near's lips twisted into a pout as his hands dropped to his sides. The pout quickly twisted into a frown as he began to swing his own leg over in an attempt to get down without falling. He then yelped in surprise as Mello's arms wrapped around him and pulled him to the ground. "Can you stand?" Mello asked when Near found his feet. Near almost said no. He was here, wrapped in Mello's arms, his back against Mello's chest…

…Mello was warm.

But Near firmly pushed those thoughts away and nodded his head. Near almost whimpered when the warmth left and he was once again standing in the cold. "Get inside, Near," Mello said, eyeing the younger boy as he shifted. "Your two underlings are inside."

Near frowned as Mello moved back toward the motorcycle. "Did Mello not want to speak with me about something?"

Mello sighed and held out his hand. Near eyed it. "Helmet," Mello finally snapped.

Oh. Near fumbled with the strap for a moment before he managed to unsnap it. He slid the helmet off his head and handed it to Mello. "Did Mello want to speak with me?" Near asked yet again. And, again he was ignored.

"Go inside, Near," Mello said as he started the motorcycle.

But Near stayed where he was. "Did Mello come to make sure I got here safely?"

Mello's head snapped to the side. "What?!" he yelled. "Have you lost your mind?!"

"Why else was Mello there?" Near questioned. "Has Mello changed his mind about working with me?"

There was a moment of silence and Mello stared at Near. His hand reached into his coat and pulled out a familiar bar of chocolate. Mello continued to stare at Near as he snapped a piece off with his teeth and began to chew. "No," he finally said, after a few moments of complete silence. "I haven't changed my mind."

"But Mello-"

"I agree to share information," Mello cut him off, glaring at him. " _All_ information. It's still a game but let's get back on an even playing field. No more secrets. Of any kind."

 _Isn't that the same as working together?_ Near wondered but he didn't say the words out loud – he was sure if he did, Mello would be furious and whatever offer this was would suddenly disappear. So he just nodded his head.

"Fine. Get inside before they think I killed you."

Near glanced around the alley in confusion. He did not actually know where their new headquarters were. Mello let out a loud sigh and gestured toward a door across the street. Near slowly padded across the street (making sure to look both ways) and then toward the door. It opened before he got there.

Lidner was standing there, her hand on her gun as she scanned the street. Her eyes landed, briefly, on the alley before she stepped aside and let Near enter. Near looked over his shoulder just in time to see the motorcycle disappear.

"Commander Rester informed us you were coming," Lidner said, her voice judgingly irritating. "He should be here shortly. I will show you what we have set up." Near wanted to smirk at the woman's obvious irritation, but instead he just nodded and allowed her to show him around. It was much, much smaller than what they were used to and there wasn't near enough security.

They would need to be careful.

Rester arrived almost twenty minutes later and he shook his head disapprovingly at Near. "What did he want?"

Near ignored the question and continued to build his match Eiffel Tower. "Now that we are all here," Near fought back a smile at the glare he was given, "Gevanni, do we have a connection to L?"

"We do," Gevanni responded, "Would you like me to contact him?"

 _No, I merely asked for my own amusement._ "Please do."

It took only a few minutes for the connection to be answered. "It is Near. I would like to talk to L."

"Near, this is L speaking."

"L, it's been awhile…" Near smirked, wishing he was in the actual room to see how the man took his news. "Thank you for keeping the connection open."

"Near, what do you want?"

Well, that was rude. "I am in Japan right now in order to capture Kira. The best way to investigate Kira is to start with Kiyomi Takada," _what will you do now, L?_ "Therefore, I have decided to come to Japan and investigate."

"I'm in Japan already, doing just that. If you'd like to cooperate, I'm willing to do so as well. But, since you're suspicious of me, I guess that's not possible."

Did he just… "Did you just say I?" Near questioned. Surely that didn't mean the rest of the taskforce had allowed Yagami to investigate Takada alone? They would not be that incompetent.

"I have personally gotten in contact with Takada and am making headway in the investigation."

Ah. He's at taskforce headquarters. He's admitting this so he can get the other members confidence. Clever.

"And we've gone as far as to have our investigator, Mogi, be able to enter NHN."

Oh, he was growing very irritating. Now, even if Near was able to prove he was in contact with Amane or Takada, he could just claim that it was part of the investigation. "L, we'll find a way to get into NHN as well, but there's one thing. You said that you have personally contacted Takada and investigated her."

"…yes?"

"Then please tell Takada, however you can. That the members of the SPK who escaped from the Kira worshippers in New York have entered Japan to capture Kira. Judging from the current world situation and her position, that is the type of news that she is going to have to report. You can even have her say that there are only four members of the group, including Near, the leader. The three other members are people Mr. Aizawa and Mr. Mogi met at SPK. This is not a lie, so it will be a true report." Near's eyes shifted toward the screen. "If Mr. Aizawa or Mr. Mogi see them near NHN, please feel free to tell L. We don't want to get in the way of your investigation. But please don't show their faces as members of the SPK on television or other media outlits. This report is for luring Kira. Including me, there's only four of us. There's no way that Kira is going to run away. I am sure that Kira will make a move to try and kill us. And that is where I intend to counter strike and defeat Kira."

There was silence and Near wondered if Yagami had figured it out. Near was initiating a challenge to Kira. Would Kira respond to it?

"…Near there are four members altogether in Japan…is that it for the message?"

"Yes," Near responded. It was true, there were only four members of the SPK. Mello and Matt were not members, so they did not count. Kira may suspect that Mello is in Japan but he should be unaware of Matt. That gave them the advantage. "I had gathered people who could work under me, but now that the situation has changed, numbers are not important. I am in Japan."

"…I, too, am in Japan."

Near's lips quirked and he began to twirl his hair between his fingers. Yes, Yagami understood what he was saying. "We may come face to face."

"That's true."

"That will be something to look forward to."

"yes."

"We'll ring Kira to an end once and for all," Near threatened.

"I agree."

Amusement flashed through Near's body. "The only way to restore the world now is to get rid of Kira and he existing notebooks. If we succeed in ridding the world of Kira and the notebooks, we win. If we die, Kira wins. This battle is no longer – no, even from the start, this battle was not about an arrest or something measured by the laws of this world… it has always been a one on one battle to prove who is on top."

A _nd I'll be the one to win. Whether it's against you or Mello, I will win._


End file.
